The Commons was loud and boisterous today at PMQs. The Osborne donation-that-never-was story seemed to hang over the House with Labour MPs particularly rowdy as one would expect. David Cameron decided to make public debt and Brown's hubristic claims to have abolished boom and bust centre stage. Cameron said Britain had the biggest budget deficit in the developed world and wanted to know if Brown regretted not building up a surplus like other countries had done during the good times. In a couple of good lines, Cameron said Brown couldn't lecture the banks on borrowing because he had borrowed so much himself and couldn't lecture the banks on transparency because he had hidden so much of Britain's debt off balance sheet.
The PM seems more comfortable and confident of late and that was apparent in his performance at the dispatch box. Yet he has lost none of his infuriating ability to quote Cameron out of context, avoid answering direct questions and blatantly lie with statistics. Brown lied once again about the state of the public finances saying Britain's national debt was only 37 percent (sorry Prime Minister, it's at least 43.6 percent) and low compared with other countries. This meant he could borrow more and spend more which was right for the economy during difficult times.
Brown made Cameron's fleeting bipartisan support a theme of PMQs returning to it several times. He wants the country to see Cameron as someone who is putting partisan political interests over what is best for the country. I wonder if Cameron and the Tory hierarchy regret ever making such a big deal about bipartisanship. It does not really work in the British Parliamentary system. Cameron's offer of support at his party conference may have got the tone right but substantively his words were empty because Brown does not need the support of the opposition parties to pass legislation. What is more, they should have known that Brown is the greatest factional politician there is who does not have a bipartisan bone in his body (anyone remember ERM and Black Wednesday?) Furthermore, it is ironic that at the same time he calls for cross party support, Brown seems to be becoming ever more political.
Cameron said that the PM did have cross-party support for the recapitalisation of the banks but that did not mean he had to support the rest of the government's economic policy - past, present or future. Cameron then moved on to Brown's hubristic claim to have abolished boom and bust.
The Prime Minister tried to squirm his way out of this one. He told Cameron that he had already said that he agreed with the Governor of the Bank of England (i.e. that Britain was in recession). That was not answering the question. Brown then asked was Cameron suggesting that the government should not have saved the banks? Clearly Cameron was suggesting no such thing. He then reprimanded Cameron for talking down the economy, saying Cameron himself had said that opposition leaders should not do such a thing. I think Brown is more worried that Cameron is talking down his economic legacy - what remains of it anyway!
Cameron hit back asking why Brown couldn't answer a direct question for once in his life. Again he asked whether Brown would admit he did not abolish boom and bust. And again Brown refused to answer the question. Instead he sought to explain once again that Britain's economic problems are all from those horrible foreigners. Cameron thought he'd have another futile stab at the question. He said Brown had taken the credit during the boom but was avoiding the responsibility in the bust. Again, PM have you abolished boom and bust? Again, no answer, just we will not return to 15% interest rates. Brown said what was important was judgement and Cameron and George Osborne (I wonder why Brown mentioned him?) had not shown any. He said the government would continue doing what was best for the country, with or without the opposition's support. Cameron then came to his last question. He declared that we were now in a bust and tried for the last time to get the PM to admit he hadn't abolished boom and bust. For shear perseverance you've got to give it to Cameron. Alas, still no answer from Brown who was making a mockery of PMQs by this stage. Instead he said the Tories had no policy proposals and no constructive solutions to offer.
Cameron needs to keep throwing these type of punches at Brown. He needs to show the PM is a man who is directly culpable and yet cannot admit his mistakes, resorting to outright lies to defend himself. Brown cannot be allowed to get away with his shameful management of the economy.
As for the minor battle between Nick Clegg and the PM, the Lib Dem leader asked about government help for pensioners in fuel poverty. The PM did not answer the question - that would have come as no surprise to Cameron. But he did get a good jibe in at Clegg's expense saying the state pension was more than £30 a week which won him a few laughs. Clegg then, in a prepared remark, accused the PM of being "all at sea" thus enabling him to also have a dig at Osborne by saying "if not on a luxury yacht." Clegg then said low and middle income families were being hit very hard indeed. Would the PM reverse the unfair system so those who use less energy pay lower prices? Will he do that yes or no? The PM said he welcomed positive suggestions but that Clegg would be in a better position to be heard had the Lib Dems not committed to £20 billion of tax cuts funded by cuts in public spending.
Finally, right at the end of PMQs, the Beast of Bolsover, the veteran Labour MP Dennis Skinner stood up and brought the Osborne story to PMQs. He asked the PM to give rock solid assurance that he would never ever meet a Russian billionaire. Skinner added "we'll leave that to sleazy party opposite." The highly partisan Brown replied that it was a very serious matter indeed and he hoped it would be investigated by authorities. Not very Prime Ministerial, but as Nick Robinson pointed out, it will ensure the story runs again as the PM has now commented on it. Andrew Neil on the Daily Politics made an interesting point. He said the Speaker was complicit in calling Skinner as it was not necessary to call him at all, especially at the end. The move has hurt Michael Martin's wafer thin credibility. He should avoid being so partisan too!
PMQs Ratings
Brown - 6 (Confident, but lied - again - and avoided answering questions - again)
Cameron - 7 (Good attacks but still failing to land the knock out blow)
Clegg - 6 (Steady, though not dazzling)
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