Theresa May MP: Taking on the Government in Parliament

Parliament returned from recess this week, and I don’t think there has been a more momentous week for the House of Commons for several years. We had a statement from the Prime Minister on Iraq, the Pre-Budget Report, and Prime Minister’s Questions, in which David Cameron well and truly hammered Gordon Brown.  And in addition to these high profile debates, we had a Conservative opposition day debate on Home Information Packs and questions to the Foreign Secretary amongst other things.

First, Iraq.  On Monday, Gordon Brown came to Parliament to make a statement on the British presence in Iraq.   But he’d already shown his contempt for Parliament – and more importantly, his cynical attitude to our Armed Forces – when he went to Basra for a photoshoot, announced a troop withdrawal to the media before he came to the Commons, and, quite shamefully, double-counted the number of troops coming home.  As David Cameron said in response to the statement:

"On reflection does the Prime Minister agree that the way in which he made the announcement about troop withdrawals last week and the way it was briefed to the press were mistakes? He promised to make such announcements to the House of Commons, but he did not. He promised that 1,000 of our troops would be brought back before Christmas, yet is it not the case that 500 had already been announced and 270 were already back in the country?

I have to say to the Prime Minister that this is of a different order of magnitude from what we have had from him over the past decade. This is not double counting of Government spending. This is not just spinning the good bits of a Budget. This is about dealing with people’s lives and the families of our brave servicemen, and does he agree that this is not an acceptable way for a Prime Minister to behave?"

Unfortunately, it might be an unacceptable way for a Prime Minister to behave, but it was all too predictable.  After all, it was only two weeks ago that Jacqui Smith insulted the Territorial Army for a cheap laugh during her conference speech.  And while the Government is only too happy to send our Armed Forces to war, they have failed to provide them with proper equipment and decent accommodation.

Next, the Pre-Budget Report.  On Tuesday, Alistair Darling came to Parliament to give his first PBR.  Our new Chancellor did a sterling job of demonstrating the complete lack of vision of the Brown Project.  He announced action on inheritance tax, on non-domiciles, on aviation tax, on the simplification of National Insurance and PAYE.  He even admitted, out of expediency rather than conviction, that it is indeed possible to share the proceeds of growth.  No great vision, no big idea, just a highly political statement designed to spike our policies.  And this, from the Prime Minister who says he didn’t call an election because he wants to set out his vision for the future! 

But as ever with Labour’s budgets, you always need to check the small print.  Alistair Darling said that his PBR included “an affordable tax cut”.  But independent analysis shows that families are going to pay £2,600 more per year, pensions will be hit by a £2 billion tax raid, and the inheritance tax threshold has not in fact been doubled.  It was yet another Labour tax con, and after ten years of tax cons, the press and the public spotted it from a mile away.

Then on Wednesday, Prime Minister’s Questions.  Not once in my ten years in the House of Commons have I seen a Prime Minister so uninspired, so angry, and so soundly defeated.  And revealingly, I’ve never known the Labour benches so quiet, so reluctant to support their Prime Minister.  Maybe they sense that the writing is on the wall.  David Cameron defeated Gordon Brown for the simple reason that the Prime Minister is losing the battle of ideas: we have them, and he doesn’t. 

And for Gordon Brown to argue that there shouldn’t be an election because only 26 people had signed this petition was pitiful.  Maybe he will change his mind when he looks at the website again.  There are now almost 6,000 signatures, and I’m sure there will be even more by the time you read this!

Three key political moments, and each revealed the chasm between the Government and the Conservatives.  We’re setting the political agenda, we’ve got the new ideas, and we’re the ones winning the arguments.  No wonder Gordon Brown is scared of calling an election.  But he can’t postpone an election indefinitely – and when polling day comes, we’ll be ready for him.

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On the subject of Parliament, I would like to congratulate Tim and the team for the new ConservativeHome Parliament page.  As Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, I sincerely welcome any measures that open up what happens in Parliament to the public.  Thanks!

Comments

[Rachel Joyce]

Thanks for this piece Theresa, well written and a good summary of where we are. Interesting reference to the TA. Just shows the type of people we are dealing with here - institutionally prejudiced against many different groups of people. We doctors have felt the weight of their institutional anti-professional prejudice, and other groups too - so hardly surprising.

[James Maskell]

I was disappointed to note that neither Ed Balls nor Michael Gove mentioned looked after children with regards to educational acheivement. The figures show clearly that they are well behind the rest of the country and yet it is not being discussed. They are not the same as SEN pupils.

[Alex Swanson]

"failed to provide them with proper equipment"

In the interests of objectivity, I have to point out that I was in the TA during the early 1980's, under a Tory govt, and the forces weren't exactly swimming in kit then either.

Scoring political points is one thing, I think actually producing the goods in power remains to be seen.

[Moral minority]

If David Cameron wants to capitalise on his good week and poll bounce, he should announce that a future Conservative government would withdraw all troops from Iraq within six months of taking office.

Cameron should also state his opposition to Britain being involved in a US attack on Iran. Our armed forces should be used for defence only (in partnership with Nato, not the EU). Britain must not attack sovereign nations who have not attacked us.

[cv examples]

I largely agree with the previous speaker

[Cv examples]

Your article made me cheer..opinions to see so accurate!