The shadow cabinet versus the cabinet in parliament

Daily Mail sketchwriter Quentin Letts has scored the shadow cabinet against their opposite numbers in parliamentary debates:

Tory winners: Hague V Miliband; Davis V Smith; Duncan V Hutton; Gove V Balls; Hammond V Cooper; Hunt V Burnham; Strathclyde V Ashton.

Tory losers: Ainsworth V Benn; Herbert V Straw; Lansley V Johnson; Villiers V Kelly.

Most surprising Letts' verdict: "George Osborne v. Alistair Darling, Chancellor. For all Darling's troubles he has not yet been comprehensively bettered in the Commons by his shadow. Osborne found it easier to score against Gordon Brown. It's never easier playing an underdog. Score draw."

Meanest Letts verdict: "Theresa May v. Harriet Harman, Leader of Commons. Kitten-heeled May is no Cicero and makes far harder work of Harman than she should. If it's possible for both teams to lose a match, this is it."

The full article is here.

Comments

[Sammy Finn]

Who cares? Nobody but nobody notices what goes on in Parliament.

[Graeme Archer]

He's wrong on Herbert V Straw, politically and intellectually. And - from the point of view of having only ever seen either of them on the TV - Nick Herbert wins on the "human being" axis too.

[James Maskell]

I notice what happens in Parliament. But then again Im a saddo BBC Parliament viewer...

As for Hammond vs Cooper, she put up a pretty good fight on the Post Office closures and I wouldnt call it a Tory win.

As for May vs Harperson, I dont particularly like watching either of them at work since they actively work against equality under the pretense of creating a more "representative" read egalitarian Britain. Blatant sexism isnt something I like seeing. Minister for Women and having an active and key role in the equality debates indicates a pretty strong conflict of interests...

[Tony Makara]

Just think back to the head-to-heads from just thirty years ago and its clear that standards have dropped markedly in the house. Yvette Cooper is one of the few on the Labour side who actually feel a passion for politics, most of her party are in the comfort-zone and just wallowing in the trappings of power. However thirty years ago I doubt if Cooper would have been selected, let alone elected, again a sign that standards have dropped. I don't really consider any of the Labour side to be skilled debaters, they seem to lack any sort of gravitas. I well remember the GMTV duel between Chris Grayling and Caroline 'split-skirt' Flint last year. The difference in quality was embarrassing, Mr Grayling looked measured and every bit the politician while Flint looked every bit the agitated wannabe career-politician.

[Edward Huxley]

Didn`t see Hammond v Cooper, but no MP spoke the truth in the debate. The EU is to blame for the post office closures. At last a break through - Lord Willoughby de Broke`s letter in the Telegraph today has breachecd the wall of silence.

As he says, we should either accept complete rule from Brussels or leave the EU. There is no third way.

[James Maskell]

A few MPs were mentioning the EU in that debate Edward Huxley, but it didnt get very far because the key question wasnt about the EU.

Constantly bringing up the EU can actually damage the arguments posed on other issues like Post Office closures because all too often people will switch off and mutter to themselves "its just the Tories obsessing about Europe again", and the arguments put forward will not be heard because the EU has been mentioned.

Yes Europe is an important issue, but it really doesnt need bring up every single time we discuss a domestic issue.

[Edward Huxley]

Sorry James, but I think Lord Willoughby de Broke got it a hundred percent right. The government and the opposition have been concealing the truth about the closures and at last they have been rumbled.

[john broughton]

James

It is because people like you adopt the "don't mention the eu" approach that the majority of the population simply do not understand what little decision making power is left in Westminster.

This then allows NuLab MPs to posture without being accountable.

Enough

Letts has it absolutely right about T May. She should be reducing Harman to jelly but consistently fails to land telling blows.

We need an effective team whatever their gender.

[Ellesmere Dragge]

For goodness sake, the Post Office problem didn't emerge in the last ten years. Nor is it specific to the UK. Nor is it a static situation. Nor is it some analogue of the EU issue.

Even when we had a Conservative Government, Post Offices were closed. Even under a future Conservative Government they will be closed. Anything else is limp libdim populism: trying to buy cheap votes on a false prospectus.

The mantra of "attracting new business" is an empty one. When realistic ideas are proposed (notably, establishing counters in supermarkets and similar) they are rubbished. Post Office management has made some real efforts to drag the operation into the last half of the 20th century: why make that task impossible?

The business has changed, and cannot be preserved in aspic. Let's get on with the realities. We either believe in the Post Office as a nationalised resource (like all those gas and electric board offices, which we no longer miss) or it is a commercial operation.

Perhaps that's what the eleven Tory MPs (including the Leader) who did not vote in the debate are telling us.

[David Cooper]

Redwood vs Darling = Brazil vs Faroe Islands. Bring it on!

[Malcolm Dunn]

Agree with Graeme Archer,Herbert beats Straw hollow. Crime and Justice must surely be Labour's weakest card so Straw is reduced to making nonsensical proposals for reform of the Lords.
Do agree with Letts though about Kelly v Villiers. In two years I've yet to hear Theresa Villiers put forward any policies on anything. Perhaps it's me ,what do others think?

[john broughton]

Malcolm

Villiers should have stayed in Brussels. Kelly v Villiers ought to to have been a knockout for Villiers in less than three rounds particularly as Kelly will struggle to remain in the Commons and her attention should be on survival.

I cannot recall a confrontation that Villiers has won. If you cast your mind back eleven years or so none of our front benchers was given a free ride like Kelly has had.

[James Maskell]

Its not a matter of never talking about the EU, its about talking about it when its actually necessary. Its not always an EU conspiracy, however much you may wish it. As Ive said, constantly bringing up the EU will eventually lead to the public switching off as soon as you mention it. UKIP has a serious problem on that front.

I thought the heavy Eurosceptics had their fill of discussion when the Lisbon Treaty was going through the Commons? They certainly got the media's attention. Perhaps its time to change the record for a while...