Party leaders' topics: Cameron on the cost of ID cards and
whether Brown supported them, and then on renewable energy trusts and carbon
emissions.
Best joke: Cameron berating Blair, he said that he should be the one "asking questions on behalf of the public and him answering on behalf of the government. If he wants to switch it around he can call a general election."
Best line: ID cards would become "a monument to the death of big government" - Cameron.
Best behaved person of the day: The House towards Ming - his questions were too serious to mock.
Biggest cheer of the day: Dennis Skinner, who didn't look like he was expecting to be called, going on about coal mines. Tony Blair thanked him for reminding him that "whatever the problem, the origins lie with the Conservative Party".
Best putdown of the day: Speaker on Norman Baker, who was repeatedly interrupting Blair's 'answer' to his question about ID cards.
Missed topic of the day: Ruth Kelly's job.
So Blair has decided to attack Cameron on being unprincipled instead of a secret right-winger. Interesting.
Posted by: Rob | January 18, 2006 at 14:45
"whatever the problem, the origins lie with the Conservative Party".
Would that include
- The problem of perverts working as teachers?
- The dogs breakfast of tax credits that left many poor recipients without any cash
- Then of course there is the issue of massive waste in the NHS
- The lack of accountability in schools, surely the fault of Conservative ideas of opting out.
- Lets not forget that our Tax burden is now greater than Germany's a problem most definitely caused by the Blue Corner.
To paraphrase the film "When Harry met Sally", I have what he is taking.
One day he will wake up and realise that 8 years is long enough to have to take responsibility for everything.
Posted by: EU Serf | January 18, 2006 at 15:57
Well spotted Rob. It's paying off copying all of Labour's policies as expected!!! No misrepresentation possible!
Good list EU serf. I don't think Blair will ever take repsonsibility for anything though. He always keeps one step away from real responsibility. Brown. Bush. EU.Mandelson. Campbell. Cherie. You could say 'the buck slides here.'
Posted by: R UK | January 18, 2006 at 16:21
I think we tried the inconsistency arguement against NuLab - its not a very effective one. So he's trying to do a Demon Eyes attack.
It's a problem painting us as ogres now we're the nice party again, led by that presentable Dave Cameron, cycling to work from our organic and environmentally friendly homes, having spent the weekend helping out on neighbourhood community building in between helping run the local Oxfam store...
And that's actually much closer to our membership than most believe - even I was filmed (in background) by BBC this week helping out a community project, with sister & dad having been interviewed (though intro to item tied it back to Tony Blairs respect and community speeches the day before ARGHHHH! BBC bias)
Posted by: Ted | January 18, 2006 at 16:22
I presume they dont let Dennis Skinner speak much because he's a nutcase?
If so they should scrap such a rule immidiatly because he is great entertainment to the public.
Posted by: Matthew Oxley | January 19, 2006 at 02:12
Seconded. I wondered if part of him was living up to a parody on purpose.
Posted by: Samuel Coates | January 19, 2006 at 02:19