Today’s PMQs was an exotic brew of unemployment figures, return of ‘butch’, borrowing figures and the usual duck-and-dive Dave that we come to expect from our prime minister.
Who won?
The winner of the duel this week was Ed who seemed strong today. He started by stating that the fall in unemployment was welcome but pointed out the highest figures for those out of work for more than a year for 17 years. He also pointed out the rise in youth unemployment over past 12 months , upbraiding Cam on what he senses as ‘complacency’ by the PM. Borrowing up 25 per cent was a canny attack on the last vestiges of Cameron’s perceived economic credibility, failing his own debt target of borrowing falling. Nick Robinson ( @bbcnickrobinson ) tweeted ‘twice PM asked whether he’ll abandon debt target. Twice he didn’t answer.’ It may be prime minister’s questions, but there are very few answers to the tough questions on offer by duck-and-dive Dave. Butch also came back to haunt Cameron, knocking back the claret while sacking the Welsh secretary – ‘very butch’
Best backbencher?
Chris Bryant. After the tribute to fallen soldiers, Bryant admirably stated ‘we often vote for war in this house, but it is far braver people than we who have to do the fighting.’ His question addressed the statistics of female redundancies and lack of women ministers in coalition Mark II, finishing with the sharp jab that the PM likes to think of himself as butch but what does he have against women?
Best question, answer, comment or joke?
Anything mentioning the word ‘butch’ raised a titter in the House, but worthy of mention was Andrew Gwynne, who asked whether the PM has the same confidence in climate change minister have the ‘same complete confidence’ as he did with his former defence secretary? Ouch!
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Anthony Parker tweets @anthillel
Interesting to contrast the PM at PMQ with his performance right afterwards on Hillsborough where he struck the right note throughout but also genuinely sounded sincere, which is a change. In PMQs, he was back to his own game of asking the Leader of the Opposition questions instead of answering those he as PM should have answered. Nice touch that Ed picked up on Cameron’s chosen phrase “and when he is next on his feet, perhaps he would like to answer this … ” or words to that effect and used it back at him. DC once called Ed “weak and left-wing”, and on this showing Ed should call DC “weak and too indecisive to be right-wing”.