PMQs: Cameron focuses on cartoon crisis and education

DAVID CAMERON'S QUESTIONS...

• His first two questions focused on the cartoon crisis.  Question one asked TB to agree that the voice of Britain's moderate, peace-loving Muslim majority had been drowned out in recent days.  Question two encouraged Mr Blair to say that smart policing should never mean turning a blind eye to those who incite murder.  The Prime Minister responded to the second question by encouraging the Tories to change their position on the glorification of terrorism legislation and the Government's plans to proscribe organisations that glorify terrorism.

• Mr Cameron's second set of questions focused on education and Mr Blair's recent concessions to Labour rebels.  Mr Cameron quoted Mr Blair's recent statement that he'd always wished he'd been bolder with reforms when he looked back on those his administrations had already made.   Why was Mr Blair now "in reverse gear," he asked.  An on-form Blair responded by trying to ridicule Mr Cameron's own recent statements.  He noted that he told The Telegraph that he was a Conservative to his core a fortnight ago.  One week ago he was painting himself as the heir to New Labour.  And today, Mr Blair said, Mr Cameron was describing himself as a Liberal Conservative in a leaflet for the Dunfermline by-election.  No wonder the Tory leader was opposed to ID cards, he joked.  David Cameron responded by saying that he wasn't going to take lectures on consistency from Mr Blair.   
  

MING'S QUESTIONS... focused on police reform and the LibDem leadership candidate's campaign theme of localism.

BACKBENCH QUESTION OF THE DAY... A sensitive question from Charles Hendry on the number of people in prison who suffer from mental health problems.

BACKBENCH EMBARASSMENT OF THE DAY... The Labour MP for Preston asking the PM to say if the Labour MP for his city of one hundred years ago would have been proud of the Labour Government of today.

Comments

[Guido Fawkes]

Blair had Cameron for the first time today.

[MattSimpson]

Can we stop the LibDem connotations right there please!

[Will James]

I heard Nick Robinson's analysis on the Daily Politics, but missed the actual PMQ's. Was it that bad?

[John Hustings]

"I heard Nick Robinson's analysis on the Daily Politics, but missed the actual PMQ's. Was it that bad?"

Looks like his blatant opportunism in pitching to the Lib Dems a few weeks ago is coming back to bite him.

[Editor]

One good thing about the Blair-Cameron exchanges is that they take up much less time than did the Blair-Howard, Blair-IDS, Blair-Hague exchanges. For a time the two leaders were sucking up the lion's share of the time at PMQs. I'd be interested in a statistical analysis but my guess is that Cameron's frequent tendency to only use 5 questions, for example, is giving more time for backbench questions.

[Rob P]

Nice to see Punch and Judy making a return today, but you couldn't help but think DC wasn't "lovin' it" as much he proclaimed.

[Rob]

No I don't think it was that bad in fact I think Cameron is performing very well at PMQ's. I think Cameron stood up well to Blair's jibes and managed to lay some punches of his own. The Labour response is becoming more coordinated as you can see from the number of times Brown is nodding his head in agreement to what Blair says whereas in the past he would just sit there scowling.The reality is that Blair is looking increasingly desparate and is reduced to defending his school plans in term of what he is not going to reform.

I also don't think pitching to lid dems was blatant opportunism just sensible politics.

[michael]

Blair is helping Cameron's strategy to show that we have changed - flip-flop, u-turn, whatever, you want to call it, we need to convince voters that we have changed (as did New Labour) and Blair took the Lord Tebbit role today.

[Will James]

I don't think this exchange will help us look as if we've changed (which Blair has been helping us do for weeks). This will be negative for us, especially if it sticks. Looks like Labour have finally found a united line against DC.

[Rob]

Michael, Exactly right. That's why this attack from Labour is not going to work. It reinforces the message that the party has changed and, as Cameron demonstrated today, it can be turned against Blair very easily over his education reforms which are a flip floppers mess.

Also, not sure what Nick Robinson is up to with his so called 'objective' commentary but, from his recent comments, he seems to have been successfully brainwashed by Gordon 'blunderbus' Brown on his 'tour' of the country

[Andrew Smith]

Changing is good, but as we can see the genius of the New Labour machine is back in action. The ‘Flip-Flopper’ is how they have defined Cameron and that has negative conations. They can’t brand him as a right winger, so they brand him as an opportunist. They will brand his changing of the Conservative Party as ‘Flip-Flopping’. Cameron walked right into this with the Lib Dem leaflet……..God I hate NuLab….. but God they are good……

[Daniel Vince-Archer]

There was a rumour doing the rounds yesterday that Sir Menzies Campbell has a rather heavy cold which is affecting his vocal performance at the moment - any sign of this today?

I only ask because a bad performance from him on QT tomorrow night could prove to be his David Davis moment and throw their leadership contest wide open.

[Rob]

Andrew, Sorry but again I think your dead wrong. What we are seeing is the NuLab machine coughing and spluttering at the end of its useful life. I know they've bought Campbell and Gould back in but they are yesterday's men. This attack may have worked when Labour were riding high but I think, in this case, they've fundamentally misunderstood the nature of the threat.

[Andrew Price]

"Andrew, Sorry but again I think your dead wrong. What we are seeing is the NuLab machine coughing and spluttering at the end of its useful life"

I really hope I am wrong Rob... I just have a feeling that this 'Flip-Flop' tag could stick....

[michael]

Surely flip flopping is having a position, changing to another, going back to it, changing again etc.

Cameron, as new leader, is simply moving from one position to a new one. The consistency will be shown in sticking to those new positions.

Just as Blair did on CND, Clause 4 and supporting school league tables.

On education, Blair is swinging in the wind - he didn't even attempt an answer, because he's trying to have it both ways.

[Will James]

I agree Andrew. This looks like Labour's new line of attack, and it could work with the public.

[John Hustings]

"I really hope I am wrong Rob... I just have a feeling that this 'Flip-Flop' tag could stick...."

It worked against John Kerry. I was living in America at the time, and Democrats were very confident in their man at first, and it was only after the "flip flop" attacks that they became demoralised.

[Andrew Price]

"I agree Andrew. This looks like Labour's new line of attack, and it could work with the public."

It seems that this is what came out of the famous NuLab 'Focus Groups'. It is the only card they can play. I DO NOT agree with their analysis, but its what they will push.... Its all they have..

[Andrew Price]

"It worked against John Kerry. "

Exactly.....

[John Hustings]

"On education, Blair is swinging in the wind - he didn't even attempt an answer, because he's trying to have it both ways."

Unfortunately there are different standards for those in government and those in opposition. The reason why "flip-flop" works as an attack against opposition leaders is that it implies he doesn't stand for anything (and is thus capable of anything or nothing). This plays into everyone's worst fears: right-wingers think he's left-wing and left-wingers think he's right-wing. Neither are happy with him moving around and having no guiding principles.

This won't work against Labour because they are not an unknown article, so there's less to fear (even if it might have some truth to it). It might have worked if the Tories had tried it in 1995, but I don't think any tactic would've worked then, in truth.

[Will James]

Aside from Education though, nice to see Cameron personally tackling the cartoon crisis at last.

[michael]

It will only work if Cameron, having flipped to the Centre, flops back to the right!

Blair never did and people voted New Labour once they were sure they'd changed and changed for good.

To the extent that Cameron is seeking to show we have changed, Blair helped the strategy today. The challenge for Cameron is to show that having changed (see Blair's despatch box folder) we are going to stick with it.

[John Hustings]

"It will only work if Cameron, having flipped to the Centre, flops back to the right!"

Isn't that exactly what some posters here are arguing will happen?

[Rob]

John, The 'flip-flop' accusation worked with Kerry because he had shown within a short period of time 'inconsistency' on the big, hot issue of Iraq. Cameron has merely changed some positions and proposed a new agenda and in the process of outlining his guiding principles.

[John Hustings]

"John, The 'flip-flop' accusation worked with Kerry because he had shown within a short period of time 'inconsistency' on the big, hot issue of Iraq."

No, not really. He gave the *perception* of inconsistency, and that was all that was needed (he was actually doing a Michael Howard, and being lawyerly and technical).

Cameron's cosying up to the Lib Dems on Iraq on the one hand, and then appealing to pro-Iraq supporters on the other, is enough to enforce this perception.

[Andrew Price]

"Cameron's cosying up to the Lib Dems on Iraq on the one hand, and then appealing to pro-Iraq supporters on the other, is enough to enforce this perception."

Cameron's first cock-up.....

[Will James]

The only thing that matters at the end of the day is if Labour succeed in transfering this new accusation onto the TV news and into the Murdoch press. Then perceptions amongst the public will begin to change. I hope DC has got some friendly journalists up his sleeve.

[wasp]

I think if Cameron had used the word "retreat" rather than "flip-flop" he might have won the day. Whilst I don't think he will flip-flop on anything its an accusation that could stick so he needs to be more careful in the future.

[Andrew Price]

The BBC are saying they 'Traded' insults on Flip-Flopping...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4693138.stm

Cameron needs to throw it back at Blair fast....

[Macchiavelli]

"The 'flip-flop' accusation worked with Kerry because he had shown within a short period of time 'inconsistency' on the big, hot issue of Iraq. Cameron has merely changed some positions and proposed a new agenda and in the process of outlining his guiding principles."

Scusi, Signiore, but I think you'll find that any issue on which Cameron flip flops suddenly becomes a big hot issue. It has only to be big and hot for a week, just so long as the idea begins to permeate that "Cameron is the one who changes his mind all the time to be popular". Blair knows that Cameron's change strategy requires a burst of high profile symbolic shifts (because Cameron, too, is trying to fix an image of himself as fresh new etc).

Remember how short a space of time it took to fix the idea of Hague as "weird" and IDS as "weak". Labour can absorb short-term pain - they've got another four years if they want them - Cameron's only got about 4 months to escape any trap.

[Rob]

Wasp, Yep I agree with that. Cameron's line of attack was much more productive when he was using Blair's own rhetoric against him. The attempt to 'pre-empt' the flip-flop attack by throwing out the accusation himself did put him momentarily on the defensive. In boxing parlance I think Cameron would be much better in 'boxing clever' and not attempting slug shots which could potentially back fire on him. He should stay on the terrain he set out in his first few PMQ's and not get drawn into slugging it out.

[michael]

"Blair knows that Cameron's change strategy requires a burst of high profile symbolic shifts (because Cameron, too, is trying to fix an image of himself as fresh new etc)."

Exactly, so doesn't Blair listing Conservative U-turns help this strategy in the long-term?

[Andrew Price]

"Exactly, so doesn't Blair listing Conservative U-turns help this strategy in the long-term?"

The word 'Flip-Flop' is not good.... its negative.... it shows weakness, inconsisitancy, oppotunism etc....

[Rob]

Machiavelli, My point is that Cameron hasn't flip flopped he has merely signalled change. Given that the public didn't know anything about Cameron before he was elected leader they see him as a fresh and new. They also want him to succeed because they want a credible alternative to a government they know in their heart of hearts isn't properely tackling the most important issues of the day. That's why this flip-flop stuff is a short term ruse that will quickly run out of steam.

[Macchiavelli]

"so doesn't Blair listing Conservative U-turns help this strategy in the long-term?"

Cameron - I'm taking a punt here - wants to fix the idea of a changed Tory Party in the public mind because he thinks it'll get him more votes, yes?

If Blair succeeds in making people think it isn't a genuine change, but it's a cosmetic vote-grabbing stunt, and any change could be reversed next week, then it won't work. There's no value in changing from the nasty party to the cynical party.

[Macchiavelli]

"Cameron hasn't flip flopped he has merely signalled change"

These things are in the eye of the beholder. It becomes a battle of the spin doctors.

[Andrew Price]

"If Blair succeeds in making people think it isn't a genuine change, but it's a cosmetic vote-grabbing stunt, and any change could be reversed next week, then it won't work. "

Correct!
NuLab are fighting dirty. They don’t want to let Cameron convince people that his party has changed.... make him out to be all over the place....

Bloody good strategy if it works.... if it does stick.... they have him...

[Rob]

Andrew P

Don't be so pessimitic. In politics been attacked gives you an opportunity to demonstrate strength and commitment to what you are trying to achieve. As I said earlier Cameron should not get dragged into accusations and counter accusations or getting dragged into the dirt. He should stick to his guns, keep talking about the long term issues that face the country, and keep moving forward. This flip flop is a tactic which is very much in the 'old politcs' mould. Cameron should not be tempted to engage and should seek other more fruitful territory.

[John Hustings]

"If Blair succeeds in making people think it isn't a genuine change, but it's a cosmetic vote-grabbing stunt, and any change could be reversed next week, then it won't work. "

Correct!
NuLab are fighting dirty. "

I don't think it is fighting dirty, because I think there's a lot of truth to it.

It *is* a cosmetic vote-grabbing stunt. You only need listen to Cameron's advocates both on this site and in the media to realise that.

[michael]

"They don’t want to let Cameron convince people that his party has changed.... make him out to be all over the place...."

In 1995, didn't we describe Blair and Co. as socialists in armani suits and then by '97 it was New Labour, New Danger?

Slightly different strategy, but when the voters see something they like (and with Caemron, they increasingly do) they don't take much notice of what a tired old Government is saying.

Perhap's Brown will go into the next election with the slogan, 'You can only be sure with Labour'

[johnC]

Exactly, so doesn't Blair listing Conservative U-turns help this strategy in the long-term?

But Blair didn't list Conservative U-turns. He didn't identify any examples of issues on which Cameron had changed his mind since he began his leadership campaign. He merely tried (and failed) to identify some inconsistency in the lablels which Cameron has been pinning on himself recently. In fact there is nothing mutually exclusive in the terms 'heir of New Labour', 'Conservative' and 'liberal Conservative' whatsoever. If this is the best Blair can come up with he must be desperate.

[michael]

He did John C - he read them out from his folder.

[michael]

Although, it wasn't SINCE he bacame leader, I agree. He read out the changes from Howard's positions to Cameron's.

[John Hustings]

"Slightly different strategy, but when the voters see something they like (and with Caemron, they increasingly do) they don't take much notice of what a tired old Government is saying."

You might be right that Cameron will attract quite a few votes simply by being new. Rather frivolous, but possibly true. But the flip-flop strategy will work on the margins, and it is still the best tactic for Labour to pursue, simply because there's a lot of truth to it.

The reason why Cameron won't be able to convincingly rebutt this attack is because he has even admitted to ditching principles (remember no -isms?). He has tried to make a virtue of his lack of belief. Well, Labour are only entitled to offer the alternative perspective on that.

It's a good strategy that they will probably use alot from now on.

[johnC]

But changes from Howard's positions to Cameron's are not U-turns - they are changes which Cameron (rightly or wrongly) thought needed to be made to the party's stance on various issues. If he subsequently changed his mind over any of them that would be a u-turn but I don't think he has.

[PM]

all cameron has to say is that Blair is a true conservative but he is just too dishonest to admit it. He may flip flop between liberal conservative and core conservative byt the key is the word conservative. Blair too is conservative but he is too afraid to admit it. With cameron you have the real deal.

If that line is consistent DC should be the next PM

[Jaz]

I don't think this was Cameron's Ming...

Cameron recovered well to what he could...but Blair really had the punch on the ID card...

[malcolm]

Where has Cameron admitted to 'ditching principles?'.When has he 'made a virtue of his lack of belief?'

[michael]

Yes John C, I agree with you.

[Sean Fear]

The importance of Prime Minister's Questions is hugely overrated. I regard the exercise as being pointless.

[Jack Stone]

If the party is to change then Cameron as got to move on from one position to another. This isn`t flip/flopping this is a process of change.
Labour are bound to use this line of attack while the party goes through its process of change but once that change is complete and the party as policies to fight on that attack will be as effective as using bows and arrows against tanks.
We have just got to take these attacks on the chin and hit back aginst Blair who lets face it is the greatest flip flopper of them all who now opposes everything he said he believed in when he first entered Parliament.

[malcolm]

Hey welcome back Jack.Unusual for us to be on the same side but I agree with every word, except of course one.(H)as has an h in it.

[Goldie]

Nick Robinson's 'review' is ridiculous. I'd be the first to admit DC cocked up, but he didn't. He did just fine (although Blair's line on identity cards was very strong).

But the flip-flopping issue should have been thought through more carefully. Blair has been trying to attack DC on this for weeks now. They perceive it as a good line of attack. Now of course it's a bit rich to being accused of flip-flopping by this PM but DC should have been prepared.

He should have lectured the Prime Minister on the differences between Leadership consisting of making changes. He should have said: yes we are making changes but we will stick to them. He is the one who's flip-flopping etc.

They need to go back to the drawing board on that one, because it doesn't look good if DC is seen as shifty and Brown as staid and solid.

But it wasn't nearly as bad as Robinson made it out to be.

[Daniel Vince-Archer]

"If the party is to change then Cameron as got to move on from one position to another. This isn`t flip/flopping this is a process of change.
Labour are bound to use this line of attack while the party goes through its process of change but once that change is complete and the party as policies to fight on that attack will be as effective as using bows and arrows against tanks.
We have just got to take these attacks on the chin and hit back aginst Blair who lets face it is the greatest flip flopper of them all who now opposes everything he said he believed in when he first entered Parliament."

Bless my twinkling stars! The eternally wise Jack Stone 'as' returned! Hurrah! Pray tell us, O Enlightened One, why Cameron's flip-flopping is a process of change, when Blair's process of change is flip-flopping?

[michael]

Cos Daniel, Cameron has flipped to the left but he aint flopped to the right.

put your hands on your hips, and bend your knees...

Blair is all over on school reform - flipping to appease rebels one day and flopping to claim nothing has changed the next.

[Daniel Vince-Archer]

"Cos Daniel, Cameron has flipped to the left but he aint flopped to the right."

What about Iraq? Hawkish one minute, on the same side as the Liberal Demoprats the next minute?

[michael]

Well that's clearly a split flip, because both strands are being maintained at the same time...But certainly not a flop.

[John Hustings]

"Where has Cameron admitted to 'ditching principles?'.When has he 'made a virtue of his lack of belief?'"

When he said he didn't believe in any isms??

[John Hustings]

"Well that's clearly a split flip, because both strands are being maintained at the same time...But certainly not a flop."

I think this is a pretty flippy-floppy statement in itself michael.

[michael]

I'm all for flips! Blair makes me flipping angry at the best of times. Cameron will only fail if he goes floppy and follows a flip with a flop.

Flip on, I say!

[Elena]

Nice to see the BBC are keeping up their old consistancy again. If you take a read of Nick Assinder's verdict of PMQs on the BBC News Website, it's ridiculous to the nth degree at how blatently biased it is against Cameron. It wasn't the best PMQs ever, and you could say that Blair won the day, but it wasn't Cameron's "Ming Moment." Nor was it particularly a "Flop," "Foolhardy," "Plain daft," "So ill-judged" or any more of it. Indeed, whilst Assinder says it's been the first time that DC has failed at PMQs, he even hints that to call it a flop is kind! The clear subtext here is that it was a complete and utter unmitigated disaster.

.. When in fact it wasn't. It wasn't a good question time for DC, but all party leaders have their bad days. He did OK. Then again, anything seen as mediocre from the Tory Party instantly equals the likes of a dismal failure from the BBC...

[John Hustings]

"I'm all for flips! Blair makes me flipping angry at the best of times. Cameron will only fail if he goes floppy and follows a flip with a flop.

Flip on, I say!"

Well I think he "flopped" today ;)

[michael]

Oh John, what flippery.

[Daniel Vince-Archer]

Flipping hell.

[Andrew Price]

Flip-Flop is the word of the week....

[Rob]

and will probably be forgotten next week

[john Skinner]

I've just seen the PMQs online and , frankly, can't see what the fuss is all about. Blair scored a couple of debating points, but these would have passed unnoticed if they hadn't been lauded by fellow-travellers in the media and lamented by frightened sheep on this thread.
Come on , get a grip and stay bhind the leader.

[Chris Palmer]

"these would have passed unnoticed if they hadn't been lauded by fellow-travellers in the media and lamented by frightened sheep on this thread" - John Skinner

True.

[Matthew Oxley]

False

[Nelson, Norfolk]

Blair is the real flip flopper. He is just a bog standard PM.