Cameron presses Brown on Darfur and votes of conscience in pre-Budget PMQs

After saying he was "not sure the planted questions get any better" following the routine soft question from a Labour backbencher, Cameron asked Brown about what he was going to do about the ongoing tragedy in Darfur. Brown rattled off some stats and said he believed we must strengthen sanctions and that he had asked the Chinese to intervene.

On the African Union force already in place Cameron highlighted the lack of police deployed and the absence of any military helicopters, and asked if Brown would consider visiting Darfur and "push the no-fly zone very hard". Brown said a ceasefire was needed first and that he hoped the rebel groups will come to peace talks, without saying how this would be achieved. Hundreds have died in the last few days alone despite repeated promises by the UN to act. See this morning's Independent for details of the new wave of killing.

In his second set of questions, Cameron raised the increasingly contentious Human Embryology and Fertilisation Bill and in particular why votes on matters of conscience were being whipped by the Government. Brown failed to commit to free votes outside of abortion and referred vaguely to the processes by which whipping is decided. Cameron said that just wasn't good enough, jibing: "Why not break the habit of a lifetime and make the decision now?".

Cameron asked again if Brown would let MPs have free votes on all conscience issues in the bill and finished by quoting the excellent cross-bencher Lord Alton: 

"Sometimes I despair that even after such an extraordinary debate as we have had here, there are Whipped votes. I am sorry that the precedent of 1990, when the original legislation was introduced and free votes were allowed throughout on these matters, has not been followed today."

Strong performance and strong choice of questions by David Cameron today. Both issues are under-discussed.

There was a big sarcastic cheer for Clegg who by necessity spoke loudly and emphatically. He spoke of the big risk that our political system will become like America's in terms of how it is financed, and accused the two big parties of being "too busy with their own vested interests to do what is right for Britain".

One notable backbench question was asked by Andrew Mackay, who wondered if Brown thought his Chancellor was going to be more co-operative than he was when he gave Blair two days notice of his budgetary proposals.

And to huge cheers Boris Johnson popped up at the end to have a go at Brown for repeatedly misrepresenting his policies in the House.

Comments

[Pisaboy]

Finally a major politician speaks out on the HFE bill!!

[Deborah]

|It's good to see Cameron call for less whipping.

[Sammy Finn]

The tragedy in Darfur shames us all. I'm glad that David Cameron raised the issue today but I'm not optimistic anything will be done.