Economy dominates first PMQs of 2009

Jonathan Isaby's verdict:

"A score draw between Brown and Cameron, I think. The trading of Ken Clarke quotes only serves to bolster my view me that having him in the shadow cabinet would be a very divisive move and cause regular headaches for David Cameron and the Conservative Party. Also interesting to note Gordon Brown trying to play the world statesman by mentioning all the other world leaders he is regularly talking to - five or six got a namecheck today."

12.29 1922 committee chairman Sir Michael Spicer asks Brown: "Is he still on for an early general election?" Brown says he has "no plans".

12.24 Richard BACON asks a question about PORK, in relation to his food-labelling bill.

12.22 Uxbridge Tory MP John Randall asks for a promise of a vote on Heathrow expansion in the Commons. Brown sidesteps it, but basically admitting that there would not be and that it would end up with a planning inquiry,

12.20 Tory MP Simon Burns asks why we are still waiting for full details of ministers' interests as promised in July 2007. Brown says that if it hasn't been done, it will be done.

12.19 Jeremy Corbyn, Labour left-winger, accuses Israel of "war crimes" in Gaza, to which Brown responds by repeating the terms of the UN resolution.

12.17 Brown says that what the Government is now doing will help small businesses through the difficulties and will not hesitate to take further measures if necessary.

12.16 Nick Clegg asks why Brown is playing copycat with the Tory policies when he should be playing hardball with the banks.

12.14 Brown concludes by repeating his "do-nothing party" mantra at Cameron.

12.13 Cameron say retails leaders and experts agree with him. He says that various measures the Government has implemented are not working. "Isn't he building up debt for Britain in an attempt to save his own skin?"

12.12 Brown quotes Clarke again and repeats that Cameron is on the wrong side of the economic argument.

12.11 Cameron says Brown is isolated by having to put up taxes for people on incomes of £19,000. He also quotes Ken Clarke as having attacked the fiscal stimulus package - and pays tribute to Clarke's performance as Chancellor.

12.10 Brown taunts Cameron by saying that Ken Clarke and Norman Lamint backed the VAT cut and repeats his claim that the Toires are isolated around the world.

12.09 Cameron suggests that VAT cut was an "expensive failure".

12.08 Brown will not repeat that prediction.

12.06 Camron taunts Brown over copying Tory policies. "It's not a butler they need in Downing Street, its a photocopier." He challenges Brown to repeat the prediciotn of the PBR about the recession ending by Q3 this year.

12.05 Brown repeats his mantra that the recession is global and claims that no government is copying Tory policy to counter the recession.

12.03 David Cameron joins in the tribute to the fallen. he also attacks the Government for not unilaterally agreeing to come to the House to make a statement on the loan guarantee scheme. He asks Brown to admit he was wrong to say he had abolished boom and bust.

12.00 PMQs begins with a tribute from Gordon Brown to the members of the armed forces killed in Afghanistan during the recess. Brown also announces meetings with Sarkozy and Merkel this week.

Jonathan Isaby

Comments

[Dan]

That's pretty clear point of support for Ken from DC...

[Dan]

Sounds like he is trying to shore up his position so that he can bring him back in to me.

[Mike]

Brown looked rattled. All he could do was repeat the same tired cliches.

[John Leonard]

Shouldn't that be LAMENT oops sorry I meant LAMONT instead of LAMINT?

[ArthurWaik]

Interesting that Brown's already attacking DC re: Clarke. That either means he can't resist such an easy target or Labour fear the return of Clarke?

[steve]

McBean gets trounced again.

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/3862/mcbeannq3.jpg

Broon you have NO MANDATE IN ENGLAND!

http://img1.abload.de/img/broonland33mn.jpg

[gezmond007]

Steve have you been watching the tv with blue tinted glasses?

It was a draw at the best for Dave . I do think Ken Clarke is on his way back .

[Oscar Miller]

Labour fear the return of Ken - that's obvious. Cameron on top form. Among many good lines pilloring Brown for "laughing at squandering a golden inheritance" was an excellent taunt - and only too true. Cameron looks young, fresh and ready for the fray with his wits about him. Brown looks tired, beleagured and muddled.

[DJT]

I thought quite a decent DC victory there...

What a plonker Brown his...Only he could say 2no-one is doing what the tories are doing"...on the week he copys our ecomomic ideas and therefore essentially accepts his flagship VAT policy was useless!

Also...it seems Brown's stutter is getting worse again, which i hazard a guess is linked to him losing his confidence again.

[DJT]

gezmond007 is back, yay!!

He scored it a draw (im laughing at his daftness here).

So if he scores it only a draw for Brown, you can pretty much be sure that was a big Cameron win!

[gezmond007]

Hi DJT I've missed you too !

[RichardJ]

Amusing post on Guido (also appeared a while back but good to remind everyone):

Brown has a collection of tiny china figurines which he keeps in a shoebox - tiny sheperdesses and horses and farmers and pigs and the like. She says most nights when he’s alone with his aides and the wife he gets them out and plays “farmy-farm” with the little dolls, making the horses jump over tiny hedges etc. He even takes the miniature cows to the Number 10 toilet so they can do “Brownpats” as he makes little mooing noises.

The staff’s big fear is that he will take his “farmy-farm” set to the Commons and be caught on TV playing with it just before PMQs. He’s come pretty close already - during the non-election debate, a miniature sheep apparently fell from his breast pocket onto Ruth Kelly’s hair, and was there right through the broadcast.

Amazingly no one noticed, but they reckon it’s just a matter of time.

[Conand]

David Cameron doesn't come back on Brown's bogus 'tory cuts' attack.

Is this a deliberate tactic?

[RichardJ]

On a more serious note, I'm surprised Cameron fell into the Ken Clarke quote trap. It would have been better if he'd stay off of the VAT issue which I suspect most people aren't that fussed about.

[John Scott]

Sounds to me like the Labour Party is getting rattled at the prospect of the return of Ken Clarke: they have always been scared of him. Cameron dealt with the issue brilliantly, in particular saying that Brown inherited from Clarke a successful economy - a record he has squandered. Ken Clarke remains a huge talent and Cameron should back his instincts and bring him back to the front bench. My view is hardening that this is the right thing to do.

[Conand]

Also, Brown seemed to be assuming that all 50bn of insured loans might have to paid out simultaneously. What does that do for confidence?

[Mike]

Is it me or does Brown appear to have a very strict script he adheres to for PMQs?

When Cameron speaks all Brown does is smile and shake his head.

When Brown speaks he just fires off cliches and name drops.

A 'score draw'? I think not.

Only one of them was actually making any effort to take part.

[Oscar Miller]

Of course the VAT blunder is important. It was the centrepiece of the budget and it's proved to be a stupid ploy - short term, wasteful and of no help. Brown was incredibly weak waffling on about an extra fiver in people's pockets. The VAT cut is a clear, specific point that shows up the important fact that Brown is not the economic 'miracle worker' he's cracked up to be. By contrast Brown's attacks are all vague and imprecise - he doesn't land his blows. Cameron does.

[Steve]

John Scott- spot on analysis.

[Icarus]

Cameron got off to an awful start. He couldn’t resist having ago at Brown before paying tribute to the soldiers who had died.

It was obvious which was more important to him.

[Tom FD]

Cameron was excellent here - could do with whittling down the "achieve nothing" soundbites into something simpler, something as repeatable as "do nothing party" (which is a dumb misrepresentation of the Tories but gives Labour confidence in their attacks).

[m dowding]

"Mum's eyes, father's nose Gordon brown's debt." Says it all for me. Score draw? I think not. Trounce of Snotty more like!

[Iain]

Having got Brown to not defend their growth figures, Cameron missed the obvious follow up to question what effect this would have to Brown's PSBR, for that too can no longer be defended which would have played into Cameron charge against Brown about competence and the level of debt he's burying us in.

[John Moss]

Cameron needs to counter the "unfunded"/"tory cut" attack by pointing out that our proposals are indeed funded by a slowing down of the increase in Government spending to a more responsible level, unlike his proposals which are funded on the never-never by borrowing from our children's future, just like his wasteful spending since he last balanced a budget in 2000-01.

[MG]

Good but still need to fix on key phrases. Brown may be wrong about it and may annoy with "do-nothing party" but it was quite clever spin when it was first conceived. Its not achieving as much now as Labour appear to be a "do-anything party" but having key messages is important.

[Iain]

"Cameron needs to counter the "unfunded"/"tory cut" attack "

Yes, the simplest route being to point out that as Brown has to increase borrowing to a trillion it means pretty much everything he is doing is unfunded.

[Jonathan]

Just an observation but....

The PM refused to stand by his chancellor's growth forceasts because they were dependant upon the level of "international co-operation". Or so we are told...

BUT

According to the New Labour narrative (repeated by the PM today) the whole world is already copying his financial stimulus plan....

SO

If the world is already following Gordon, how can he possibly complain about levels of "international co-operation" at a later date?

Downing Street can't have it both ways.

[Jonathan]

Why doesn't cameron ask what the GVN's forecast interest repayments on the £1 trillion national debt will be in 2012?

Then when Brown fails to answer (likely), have the correct answer to hand and then follow up by asking... How many Schools 'n' Hospitals could be built with this sum?

Cameron could have endless fun with this line of questioning. The following week he could ask what the total scheduled debt repayments are for the next Labour GVN (if elected) etc... Ask how much that is per each man, woman and child in this country etc....?

[Oscar Miller]

Tom FD - I think MG has come up with the soundbite you were looking for - Labour "the do-anything party".

[James Maskell]

A fellow tenant thought Browns stammering was funny, especially at the end.

The spending cuts line is easily beatable. The problem is finding the right message and way of saying it.

[Iain]

Jonathan, yes, that was the game that Labour played, as such I am surprised that the Conservatives have been so slow to take up the attack, after all the unfunded £12 billion VAT means cuts in schools 'n' hospitals later.

[David Sergeant]

Look on the BBC website. No pro Labour bias to-day. I note Brown got in the Tories will cut spending, Labour seem to be changing their recorded message from "do nothing" (god knows how he was allowed to get away with it) to "public spending cutting" I noticed a minister saying it more or less irrelevant to the issue in hand earlier this week.

Can we sit on the new recorded message vastly faster than we sat on the last one please.

[jono]

It's nice to see Brown getting a hammering for his incompetence and mismanagement of the public finances, but his mendacious stonewalling actually plays fairly well to the TV cameras.

Cameron must try to be more unconventional. No idea how he does that. Perhaps by varying his lines of attack a little more. I seem to recall that he was lighter on his feet before Brown's bust - and was more effective consequently.

Ken Clarke needs a peerage tout de suit. Then he can go at it hammer and tongs with Mandy in the plush comfort of red leather and ermine.

Lord Clarke of Strasbourg?

[Votedave]

"Look on the BBC website. No pro Labour bias to-day."

Maybe - though they wanted to remind us what Norman Lamont said 18 years ago about green shoots, which might (rather unfairly) make people think "they're all the same".

[David Belchamber]

"Cameron needs to counter the "unfunded"/"tory cut" attack "

Not only Cameron but all conservative spokespeople at every level should brief themselves.

"All public service budgets will be increased but some will not increase as much as Labour has promised. The crucial ones will be ringfenced and all will be managed much more competently".

If people want to get worked up about real cuts in essential public services, why not attack this government for the reductions in hospital beds (now under half the number per 100,000 people provided in similar countries) and the loss of NHS dentists.

[Conand]

David Belchamber, I think the last part of your analysis can be summarised by the phrase:

'Real Cuts Now'

[Goldie]

I thought it was a clear victory for Brown. DC didn't make his case persuasively.

I still think the Tories don't have a coherent economic message.