PMQs: Cameron presses case for independent inquiry into 7/7

With David Davis sat next to him, a very bronzed David Cameron (lots of canvassing) asked the Prime Minister if he had ruled out an independent inquiry into 7/7.  Mr Blair said that he had.  Another inquiry would not, he suggested, reach a different conclusion from the Intelligence and Security Committee but would divert the police and intelligence services from their vital work.  The Prime Minister also challenged David Davis' contention of yesterday that the security services had not been adequately resourced.  Their funding had doubled, he said.

Ming Campbell (whose party has issued an anti-war ad for the local elections) asked about Geoff Hoon's admission that there had been inadequate post-war planning in Iraq.  Tony Blair replied by saying that Saddam Hussein would still be in power if the LibDems had had their way.

Dennis Skinner amused the House with his question.  He called for a fresh inquiry into Black (White?) Wednesday given that new information had come to light.  That 'new information' being David Cameron's backroom role on the day and the fact that he had not been trailed since.

Mr Cameron's second question teased Tony Blair about his promise to serve a full term and his failure to do so.  'Was this his last broken promise?' David Cameron asked.  The Prime Minister teased back by noting David Cameron's attempt to enlist Greg Dyke as the Tory mayoral candidate.  I can assure the House, Tony Blair said, that his successor would be a member of his party.  David Cameron didn't ask his sixth question which might have been an opportunity to ask about the Newsnight poll which found that approximately three-quarters of Britons would like an immediate election to affirm Blair's successor.

It was interesting to see the chamber relatively empty.  Lots of our taxpayer-funded MPs are obviously in their constituencies campaigning in the local elections.

Editor's comment: "Tony Blair was on form today - ridiculing the LibDems - and perhaps beginning to look forward to being free from office.  David Cameron's second set of questions didn't quite work and he might have been better to have focused on some issue of local government responsibility."

Comments

[simon]

Cambo missed a golden chance when Bliar said that what offended him about his questions was the assumption that the inquiry was 'holding back information'. Talk about an open goal there!

[Derek Buxton]

simon,
Not surprised at Cameron missing an open goal are you? He's been doing it all year, cowardice, incompetence or has he done a deal?

[Jonathan Sheppard]

What is it with Skinner? He doesnt sit on any committees and he seems to think that an MPs job is to stand up and ask a funny question every few weeks.

[Justin Hinchcliffe]

And Skinner is a nasty piece of work, too!

[John Findlater]

Todays Daily Politics was an absolute disgrace with various toadies including Hattersly and Jenny Scott indulging in a combined lovein for Blair. Gerald Robinson was on praising Blair in the Best PM contest they are running.
I was almost ready to kick the tv screen in until Lord Bell interjected some common sense describing Blair as a pygmy compared to Mrs Thatcher and generarlly deriding the programme and its toadying.
The Pm vote was described by Scott as being very close between Mrs T and Atlee. Since when was Mrs T,s 49% close to Atlee,s 34%
The other week in Scotland Dave described the BBC as one of the great institutions that helps to unite the UK, well as far as I,m concerned the sooner the BBC is privatised so that the socialists who populate the programmes can be paid for by their supporters and I can have the freedom to subscribe to TV channels and programmes I support the better.
By the way I,m in North Aberdeen, I,m off to vote for the SNP 1st Tory list and Tory councillor.
The reasons, Lab holds the seat from SNP by 500 votes, well I figure, kill one enemy first Labour and deal with the other socialits later on.
For once I agree with Simon Heffer in the Telegraph, when Labour is destroyed in Scotland, it cannot get a majority in England, unless the English voters prefer a choice of 2 governor generals from Scotland (Brown or Campbell) or an English prime minister David Cameron

[malcolm]

Interestingly enough the BBC are not reporting PMQs as a Blair victory today. They are focussing on the 'calls grow for an enquiry' line.

[RodS]

Two separate stories from Leeds that show what is happening in the real world away from Westminster.
1) The Royal Armouries have had to pay compensation to the English Democrat Party for having cancelled a Conference they had booked. The Royal Armouries said:

“Yorkshire and the surrounding counties have many inhabitants from diverse ethnic backgrounds and origins, many being immigrants or second/third generation descendants of immigrants. It was anticipated that they may not have felt comfortable visiting the Museum during the conference…”

2) Labour Party officials in Leeds are being investigated for Postal Vote breaches which would have sought to capitalise on the influence exercised by Muslim leaders on the local vote.

What was Enoch Powell's warning about 'once immigrant communities get the whip hand' ?

[Torygirl]

Cameron got it wrong. He was made to look a fool - again.

[Jack Regan]

Why are we pushing for another 7/7 enquiry? What exactly will it achieve, apart from wasting more taxpayers' millions? If DC is trying to avoid an image of opportunism then this is not the way to do it.

My god - I'm a Tory, but I'm agreeing with Blair (just this once).

[simon]

With regard to Skinner , it's a shame Cambo did not get up and use sarcasm :- 'i see that great working class hero, the hon. member for Bolsover has something in common with his Rt Hon friend for Hull. Cheating. On his wife.'