PMQs: Prescott fails to answer Hague's questions on Labour's council tax bribe

Understatement of the day: With Tony Blair downunder Two Jags was answering questions for the government.  BBC1's narrator for PMQs - (Peter Wilby?) - said something like... 'This week's PMQs brings together William Hague, one of the best and funniest speakers in The House - up against John Prescott, "who isn't"!'

Labour's pre-election council tax bribe for pensioners: William Hague asked John Prescott about whether he lobbied Gordon Brown to retain the £200 council tax discount for pensioners.  What was so special about last year, asked Mr Hague, that pensioners deserved a £200 discount for one year only.  Was it because it was an election year?  It was an unanswerable question.  Quoting the outrage of pensioner groups like Age Concern Mr Hague said that such behaviour by Labour was a principal reason for the cynicism towards politics.

Editor: "It has to be the most brazen of bribes and was, of course, Mr Brown's work.  Shame on the man who falsely presents himself as the straight man of Labour."

Both Mr P and Mr H had two good jokes:

• John Prescott welcoming William Hague back to the Tory leadership team: The Tories are now so green that they're recycling their leaders!
• William Hague: There was so little English in that answer from the Deputy Prime Minister that President Chirac would have approved of it.

The stand-in LibDem leader - David Heath - also raised the issue of fairness for pensions.

12.30pm update: In William Hague's second round of questions there was lots of entertainment but not much enlightenment.  WH asked about when the PM might go?  Was the smouldering Gordon Brown the real PM whilst Tony Blair was in a departure lounge of a faraway airport?  During the course of questions Mr Hague reminded Mr Prescott about his famous punch in the 2001 General Election.  Mr Prescott said that the Tories were supposed to have abandoned Punch & Judy... If he was Punch, where did that leave Mr Hague?!

Comments

[James Maskell]

Adrian...wasnt it David Heath? It got a little personal with the quip about the 2001 election. Hague coming out with something like "I may have lost the election but I at least got through it without hitting anyone!".

Precott did alright actually and held his own. Score draw I think.

[James Maskell]

Interestingly Brown bored a hole in Prescotts head when Prescott was commenting on the handover of power. Brown didnt look very happy at that moment it must be said.

[Editor]

You're right, James. I'll change it.

[Biodun]

I also think Prescott held his own quite well.

He speaks terribly, but is quick-thinking.
We can only go so far in mocking him before we start to look like bullies.

[Biodun]

and where is Cameron?

[michael]

In his office I'd imagine Biodun. It's convention that when the PM is away, the Opposition Leader doesn't take on the Deputy PM.

[Richard Allen]

Despite what many think Prescott is very good at PMQ's. It might not be pretty but he tends to bluster his way through most questions. It might not work in a debating society but it does the trick at PMQ's.

[Editor]

I agree. I think Prescott did well. Unfortunately all the media will focus on the jokey nature of today and they'll miss WH's vital points on the outrage of the council tax bribe.

[James Maskell]

The jokes will stop though if the ID Card Bill continues to be ping ponged across Parliament tonight. I hope the Lords will keep kicking it back. I didnt like the amendment (why delay it? Itll still be compulsory at a later stage) so I hope the MPs continue to kick it back at the Lords. Sadly though, the Conservatives and Labour are considering backing the amendment...

[Richard Allen]

The so called compromise on ID cards is no such thing. It is a capitulation. The government have had their way and everyone who applies for a passport will have their details recorded on the NIR. Being abble to opt out of the card is meaningless as the card itself is harmless. The database is the threat and the conservatives who backed this ammendment are either stupid or spineless.

[James Maskell]

The only people to fight the compromise were the Lib Dems...

[Ted]

It could be a clever plan - when Gordon asks "so what are you going to cut?" Osborne replies with ID cards!
The current cost estimates a wildly optimistic, the IT alone will probably turn out massively over budget, introduction will be delayed, people will find criminals can read their chips and still steal their identies...
So lets say its burning £5bn a year buy next election, with billions still to be spent - there's a low hanging fruit for budget trimming.

[wasp]

I thought what was hilarious was watching Prescott reading his jokes with his finger running along the line.

[James Maskell]

I doubt that the clever plan is to support it only to turn on it in a few years time...this Conservative Party doesnt even believe in cutting taxes. If they dont believe in cutting taxes, cutting ID Cards is even less likely...

[Chad]

Yep, the Tories worked with Labour to get the ID bill through this evening even though the Labour manipulation of the wording of their manifesto pledge was disgusting.

Then you have the £1.7 billion fictional cost of identity fraud when the industry places the real cost at less than £37 million or around 50 pence per person.

No wonder Cameron has removed his campaign site with his pre-election pledges on. One by one they are being forgotten.