Editor's verdict: Another win for David Cameron. Third in a row. Good choice of topics: The attempt to penalise well-run schools and the Scottish elections fiasco. Cameron is also successfully weaving in the same themes into every PMQs: Brown is a centraliser who is less than candid with the British people. Brown is doing a little better, however - often standing at the despatch box without his guidance book. Good question from Graham Brady. If the frontbench won't touch the Barnett formula you can expect bankbenchers to do so - authorised or not."
Not verbatim:
[Speaker rebukes Ian Austin again - Brown's PPS. Cameron says: That's another one of Brown's cronies who won't behave properly].
12.14am: David Cameron stands up for his second round of questions and invites the PM to apologise for the Scottish elections fiasco. He says that Douglas Alexander has been criticised for playing politics. Gordon Brown responds by saying that David Cameron is "misleading" people about the report. All parties were implicated, he suggests. Look at p17, responds David Cameron. The report directly criticises ministerial conduct. Brown promised a new kind of politics. He promised candour. That was in his leadership election. It feels like a hundred years ago.
12.12am: Graham Brady pops up again for the second time in two weeks and asks: Why should my constituents pay more tax so that his constituents don't have to pay prescription charges? Brown challenges the Tory frontbench to say whether it supports the Barnett formula or not.
12.09am: Vince Cable asks Brown about doubts over the Government's renewables target. 'Isn't Brown less green than Blair?', he asks. Brown jokes that he is pleased to see Mr Cable still in position given the turnover in LibDem leaders. Brown promises to consult on the achievability of the target. Cable responds by saying that Brown will soon be as green as George Bush.
12.05am: David Cameron says that he should trust the surpluses to headteachers and not interfere. The PM says the real issue is the Tory plan not to match Labour spending and leave a £6bn hole in the public finances. Cameron says: Scrap the consultation and let headteachers keep their surpluses. When will the PM give up his mania for state control?
12.02am: David Cameron asks the Prime Minister why he plans to confiscate 5% of the surpluses of good schools. Gordon Brown replies that the Government is consulting on how best to use the considerable (£1.7bn) surpluses that exist.
Watch it live via Sky.
Good for Brady - it is Brown's achilles heel. Why can't Cameron see it?
Posted by: Opinicus | October 24, 2007 at 12:34
Agree with the initial post, Cameron is beating Brown with ease. There was a nice scene at the close with Tory MP's calling for the speaker to check the records as they believe that Brown had acted incorrectly in accusing Cameron of misleading the house.
Cameron is successfully building a picture of Brown as a man who cannot be trusted and one that refuses to take responsibility for when things go wrong.
Posted by: Michael Hewlett | October 24, 2007 at 12:43
Brown keeps changing his formation but just can't deal with Cameron. We had attempted calm tempered statesman like today, but still he was floored. The only thing we haven't seen is self depricating. Can't see it happening though.
Posted by: Andrew Woodman | October 24, 2007 at 12:58
The Brady question is not listed on the BBC PMQs "point by point" page.
I have complained - suggest others do so too!
Posted by: chrisc | October 24, 2007 at 13:09
David Cameron is overcoming Gordon Brown with the pace and force of his delivery. Brown looks to be continually on the back foot, on the defensive, on the run. Every PMQs sees Gordon Brown shrink just a little more.
Posted by: Tony Makara | October 24, 2007 at 13:10
Why hasn't someone from the Tory Party had a word in Martin's ear that he should resign or they'll force him out?
Posted by: Ralph | October 24, 2007 at 13:12
Good for Brady - it is Brown's achilles heel. Why can't Cameron see it?
because no conservative leader is going to pull at a thread that might unravel the union
Posted by: Ras | October 24, 2007 at 13:12
“Good question from Graham Brady…” not so Editor for it allowed Brown to easily answer by pointing to the discretion the Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament have over spending on health. Your continued promotion of Brady is obvious and tiresome.
Posted by: Bill Brinsmead | October 24, 2007 at 13:17
The union already has unravelled. To give Labour credit they are smart enough to have spotted this and to have used it ruthlessly for their own advantage.
Posted by: Michael McGowan | October 24, 2007 at 13:20
Cameron was going for the soundbite (and the jugular) in his last question and pulled it off excellently - again.
It was then showed on the BBC's news at 1pm. That's exactly where he wanted. The '100 days feels like a 100 years' comment was sharp, incisive, funny and absolutely true.
The past 100 days has felt like years, almost as if Brown and his terrible government have experienced a full term in microcosm, and are already overstaying their welcome.
3-0.
Posted by: Edison Smith | October 24, 2007 at 13:27
Speaker Martin was the only person in the House not to notice Brown has been unparliamentary. Brown knew, Straw knew and the Tory MPs certainly knew.
When Martin hovered between sitting and standing he looked as if he was trying to squeeze out a crafty fart!
Time to go Mr Speaker.
Posted by: Speaker's coroner | October 24, 2007 at 13:45
am surprised the Conservatives aren't also bringing up the postal voting shambles which was described as shaming a banana republic, and their effort to exclude our troops from participating in the last election. By doing this they don't just tar Alexander as being incompetent, but ask some significant questions about the whole Labour party, their corruption of our electoral process, which suggests they can’t be trusted .
Posted by: Iain | October 24, 2007 at 14:10
"Good question from Graham Brady. If the frontbench won't touch the Barnett formula you can expect bankbenchers to do so - authorised or not."
Brady is yet again showing his lack of political acumen, this type of politicking as usual, ends up damaging the all the hard work of Cameron and team over the last couple of years. Unfortunately some in the party cannot see this.
Posted by: Scotty | October 24, 2007 at 14:11
"Brady is yet again showing his lack of political acumen"
How so? (Genuine question).
Posted by: chrisc | October 24, 2007 at 14:25
Scotty, how can representing the views of the electorate, around 70% of the views in England, be damaging the Conservative party?
I would suggest the failure of the Shadow Cabinet to not give a voice to this issue, is where the real damage is taking place, for you are either representative or an irrelevance. On matters of devolution Cameron's conservatives are an irrelevance.
Posted by: Iain | October 24, 2007 at 14:27
chrisc
Graham Brady is back on the Beeb PMQs. Well done! Have we previously corresponded in a CiF related manner?
Hello Scotty
'Brady is yet again showing his lack of political acumen'
'Graham Brady, Conservative Altrincham and Sale West, asked why his constituents should pay more tax so that Mr Brown's constituents, in Dunfermline East, should pay no prescription charges.'
Acumen of the democratic political variety tends to associate itself with success. The route to success lies with the people. If you appeal to 85% of the people success is inevitable.
The Telegraph, Times, Mail and Spectator are now singing from the same hymn sheet so why is David Cameron still clearing his throat?
'because no conservative leader is going to pull at a thread that might unravel the union'
The blue touch paper was ignited in 1998 by Labour. We should be addressing the democratic deficit before it explodes.
Posted by: englandism | October 24, 2007 at 14:43
"Brady is yet again showing his lack of political acumen"
How so? (Genuine question)."
Its simple really, he wants to become a leader of a band of outriders on the right of the party. Just watch him as he raises the banner for good old dog whistle issues, and tries yet again to make things publicly difficult for his own party rather than the government. 1) I don't think there is a huge appetite for that type of behaviour within the party just now, and 2)Brady might think its clever and will resonate with his own constituents or his pals in the party, Cameron on the other hand has a much bigger job to do which he does a damn sight better than Brady ever would.
Posted by: Scotty | October 24, 2007 at 14:47
This on a sports website I commonly peruse, in the 'General stuff' section:
- 'little al': Any one else watching PMQ's? How can he possibly lead Britain. He hasnt a clue
- 'Micky Droy': He's blown it, spectacularly, incredibly, foolishly, possibly terminally.
- 'grovesy': He's never been elected by the public as PM and hopefully never will.
Just a taster.
Posted by: Rob Turner | October 24, 2007 at 14:49
I agree another good win for DC on both subjects however the sad fact is that Brown will be in power for the next (possible) 2 years thus plenty of time to cause even more damage to our country.
The Gould report plus the now widespread electoral fraud shows the lengths Brown and his Scots cronies will go to stay in power.
Those of us familiar with Scottish politics are not surprised by their actions after all these men have perfected their dark arts in the rotten boroughs of Scottish local government over many decades particularly in the Scottish Central belt.
Its a pity scottish conservatives did not pay closer attention to this before the last elections. The fact they signed up to the dodgy ballot papers along with the Lib Dems and Scot Nats slightly blunts DC,s attack on Brown.
This is why, as a Scots conservative I believe its time to put a stop to the cosy consensus politics like the joint conivance with Labour and Lib Dems against the nationalists.
As for the governments confiscation of the good schools surpluses, well its time for direct local action.
Now I don,t pretend to be an expert on these matters however I imagine this surplus money is held in a local bank account either under the schools name or the local authourity.
Conservatives now run most of local government in England so why don,t they along with the head teachers of these good schools find a way of blocking central government from taking back the money, even to the point of direct action which might mean the heads and local government leaders being arrested and taken to court.
The public outrage in Engalnd at these actions by the government against their heads and local leaders would be immense especially as its directed by Scottish PM from a Scottish constituancy with no powers to do the same thing in his own constitiuancy.
Why wait until the bottler decides to call an election in say 2 years time when we can find ways to put the skids under him much earlier plus go some way to protecting our country from more Brown damge.
Posted by: John F in Aberdeen | October 24, 2007 at 14:52
David Cameron needs to win the next GE, and he needs to win BIG if he is going to have a working majority. If he was too follow Brady and his ilk he would lose, maybe not the by the votes in the South. But he would not have a working majority because he would not be able to command a mandate across the whole UK. Cameron will need to be seen as the leader of a party with a positive manifesto for the whole of the UK if he is to win. Run negative campaigns about particular area's of the UK is to open a dangerous can of worms which flys in the face of everything I have every believed about this party.
I have watched the rise and fall of the SNP over the last 30 years, but about 2 years ago Salmond and his team finally got it, and they then got the kind of swings they needed to become the biggest party in Holyrood.
What did Salmond realise? He realised that campaigning on a totally positive agenda about his own party he could not include a negative and anti theme against one group of the electorate in the UK and be a vote winner.
He needed Conservative voters in some area's of Scotland to tactically vote for him, by being positive and not negative he rose in stature as a statesmanlike politician.
The Scottish Labour party on the other hand ran a nasty and negative campaign against the SNP and they lost.
Cameron realises that the one area where he can be strong and positive is over the issue of the present WLQ, the other parts of the UK like Scotland and Wales realise and accept that its not fair for their MP's to vote on England only matters.
But this theme of Brown is Scottish or the Scots get free handouts is negative and dangerous and will rightly deserve to be tagged as nasty.
Posted by: Scotty | October 24, 2007 at 15:11
englandism | October 24, 14:43
"We should be addressing the democratic deficit before it explodes."
Politicians' current attitude brings to mind analogy with an old joke:
Customer no. 1 arrives in pub "Pint of real ale, please"
Publican "Sorry, I don't stock that"
Customer no.2, 5mins later "Pint of real ale, please"
Publican "Sorry, I don't stock that"
... and so on, every 5 mins until
Customer no. 25 "Pint of real ale, please"
Publican explodes "I don't stock that, How many bloody times do I have to keep telling you people - there's just no demand for it"
-- Just as there's no demand for resolving WLQ ;-)
Posted by: Ken Stevens | October 24, 2007 at 15:12
Graham Brady is clearly emerging as the face of the CONSERVATIVE tradition which the charlatans now in charge who flaunt their 'educations' and 'will to win' simply fail to understamd.
I sincerely hope that Mr BRADY wants to run for the leadership of the Party. A DAVID-BRADY run-off would be a DREAM TICKET.
Some people may say he is blinkered, but he is one of the few people who are willing to get their head out of the nosebag and stick their chin out, to take us that final furlong and get our noses ahead at the finish line. He is clearly several hands greater than his competition. That said, he really needs to get in soon before he becomes too long in the tooth.
Posted by: DavisFan | October 24, 2007 at 15:22
"The public outrage in Engalnd at these actions by the government against their heads and local leaders would be immense especially as its directed by Scottish PM from a Scottish constituancy with no powers to do the same thing in his own constitiuancy."
Hmmm, how are things going in your neck of the woods regards education spending these days?
Posted by: Scotty | October 24, 2007 at 15:24
Vox Pop (in the pub again) is that Brown is an absolute disaster. Despite Pravda's trying to ignore the conservatives, just how useless and self important this little man is is sinking in.
Generally a good performance by DC.
Posted by: Bexie | October 24, 2007 at 15:26
I rely on these pages because I cannot watch Gordon Brown- just the sight of him annoys me to the point that I have to switch channels....even when he is losing, as he usually is, I still cannot stand listening to the oaf.
Posted by: eugene | October 24, 2007 at 16:04
I might have missed something but just what was Mr Cameron's response the Barnett Rules ?
This is a topic which is not just going to fade out - it is hot and needs answering . There is no way in which the cross party conspiracy of silence can last much longer . Salmond won't let it . Why not just come clean and adress the matter ?
Face it . To answer the question means offending one of two groups of people and pleasing the other .
I suppose that , tactically , it might just be advantageous to leave Brown to address the matter and then respond . Perhaps . Whatever happens ,the Conservative party will very soon be in the position of having to come out with an answer either spontaneously or as a response to Brown .
At present time is on their side . It would be wise to have the answer ready and that answer cannot be just to ignore the situation and go for the status quo . A few preliminary trailers might help .
Posted by: Jake | October 24, 2007 at 16:44
I think Scotty's basic problem with us is that he's worried that if we win he'll end up a foreigner.
Don't worry, we don't deem to be able to keep foreigner's out.
Posted by: Opinicus | October 24, 2007 at 16:58
Chisc have you got a link?
Posted by: Terry | October 24, 2007 at 17:20
Once again DC emerges from the fray showing ability, confidence and strength while Brown shows indecisiveness, fear and inability to govern. What DC needs to do now is quash any rebellion over Europe before it officially begins and show the voters what he's made of.
Posted by: Dominic Harvey | October 24, 2007 at 18:03
Can the tories please come up with a proper response to Nulab's repeated accusation about there being a £6bn black hole in our projected finances? Like the abolition of the ID card scheme? Or replacing the vastly wasteful system of tax credits by a much more efficient and targeted scheme? Or by reducing the number of quangos? Or by cutting some of Gordon Brown's more obvious examples of waste of taxpayers' money? Or by a combination of all the above?
Posted by: David Belchamber | October 24, 2007 at 18:46
davisfan @ 15.22
You have just given me the biggest laugh of the week. You'd get very high odds at the bookies if you wanted a flutter....
Posted by: Michael Hewlett | October 24, 2007 at 19:15
"David Cameron asks the Prime Minister why he plans to confiscate 5% of the surpluses of good schools. Gordon Brown replies that the Government is consulting on how best to use the considerable (£1.7bn) surpluses that exist".
Give it to Scotland of course , sily billy.
Posted by: tally | October 24, 2007 at 21:18
Watching it live, I thought it was Cameron who was ticked off.
Both leaders were right in the sections they choose, though I would lean to Browns argument here. No party avoids blame. Cameron again talking about the "new politics" which he is also avoiding.
Posted by: James Maskell | October 25, 2007 at 09:45