PMQs: Iraq and education dominate

David Cameron began by quoting the next US Defence Secretary's assessment that the coalition is currently losing the war in Iraq.  The Tory leader said that Tony Blair should be talking more honestly to the British people and not waiting on the US Government to lead opinion.  Sir Ming's questioning was very similar.  Unusually the LibDem leader summoned up real passion in his questions and put it to the Prime Minister that Britain had virtually no say in policy towards Iraq and that all decisions were taken in Washington.  Tony Blair promised that Britain was determined to defeat the terrorists wherever they threatened Britain's national interests.  He said it had been in the national interest to topple Saddam Hussein and to stand with America in the post-9/11 world.

Following up on yesterday's 'back to basics message on education' Mr Cameron's second set of questions focused on education and failures in primary and secondary schooling.

The best line came from a Labour backbencher - wondering if Tony Blair could bring 'our boys home by Christmas'... he wasn't referring to our overstrectched troops in Basra but our cricketers in Australia.  Classic image in today's Sun btw on the Ashes' 'wombles'.

Comments

[Bruce]

The above article is premised on the "fact" that Secretary of Defense-designate Gates said that "the coalition is losing the war". His remarks have been reported as such by the usual media outlets, but that isn't what Gates said. Rather, he said something different--that the coalition is "neither winning nor losing" the war.

[More to the Point]

Handy hint: if you're not winning a war you started, you're losing it.

[Daniel VA]

'Wombats 2 Wombles 0' - lol, not quite up there with 'Yanks 2 Planks 0' and 'Swedes 2 Turnips 1' though...

[malcolm]

Please,please no more references to cricket it's far too depressing. This has been one of the worst years I can ever remember for English sport. Personally I blame the government and Sven,Andy Robinson,Duncan Fletcher etc.

[John Irvine]

Who gives a stuff about cricket. I've hated it ever since being forced to play it at school.

Other than that England is currently doing something or other I couldn't tell you anything about the cricket news.

[Oliver McCarthy]

Crap, crap, crap! Britain is not losing in Iraq. Mr Cameron is not winning the next election.

[Bruce]

"Handy Hint' to "More to the point"--"we" (the U.S., the U.K., Australia, etc.) did not start this war. "They" (the terrorists and their allies) started this war. Thus your bumper-sticker-worthy analysis falls flat.

[Alexander Drake]

I just wish the passion for winning that some on this site have for the England team could be translated into a passion for David Cameron winning Number 10...

[Alexander Drake]

OK, I think I have it sussed on why some small-c conservatives that post on this site don't seem to care about Tory electoral success (or in some cases, are openly hostile to it).

Read the third and fourth paragraphs here:

http://blogs.foxsports.com.au/cricket/index.php/foxsports/comments/depressed_or_just_barmy/

Do they go some way to explaining the lack of hunger for your team (political party, sporting team, etc) to win?

I'm not seeking to stir as a risible Australian, I'm asking a genuine question.

[John Irvine]

Some guff about car washes and coffee. What's the relevance of that?

Can't you and the less intelligent Cameroons who post here get it into your heads that the Tory Party is full of people who totally detest Cameron and all his left-wing views, and his revolting yuppie friends?

That means we want the party to win but not while he is leading it to destruction. In other words we want a change to an acceptable leader before the next election.

There are plenty around starting with Davis, Fox and Hague. Cameron can be given some shadow cabinet role to keep him happy.

If your precious cricket team is screwing up you get rid of the captain - right?

That's why over a third of Tories are prepared to admit they want to dump Cameron.

Let's stop the revolt now by getting him to stand aside in favour of a Tory. Trust me, as soon as the polls go haywire he will be on the skids.

[Alexander Drake]

John I do beg your pardon, I didn't paste the URL properly. It meant to say:

http://blogs.foxsports.com.au/cricket/index.php/foxsports/comments/depressed_
or_just_barmy/

- and the point I wanted to make is that I don't think there is sufficient desire to win, whatever it takes, in the English character - except, now, it seems, in New Labour. Which is perhaps partly why New Labour is reviled by so many on this site (I can think of many reasons). I don't know. What I do know is that if they keep operating with a "win at all costs" attitude, and no one else does, then they will be very likely to continue to win. If that is the choice, then between Labour, and a Cameronite Conservative Party, I unhesitatingly choose the latter.

[malcolm]

Not sure that I agree with you entirely Alexander.Yes Blair has won and won well with his 'win at all costs strategy'.But he has debased the political system in this country to such an extent that the reaction of many people in this country is to turn away from politics altogether. Outside the Westminster village it seems to me that contempt for politicians of all parties is higher now than it has ever been.Perhaps because you are not in England you are not aware of this.
I suppose we could win by essentially adopting the same tactics as Blair,Mandelson and Campbell of lying but I think any victory would prove to be pyrrhic. I very much hope that we as a party will win with a modicum of integrity,it would be much better in the long term.
Btw Thanks for not rubbing it in over our sporting disasters, I doubt I would or could be so restrained!