With Gordon Brown in the US, David Cameron on compassionate leave and Nick Clegg on paternity leave, it was Harriet Harman, William Hague and Vince Cable stood in for their leaders at PMQs today.
Jonathan Isaby's verdict: A clear win for William Hague, who demonstrated that he retains that command of the House which we so enjoyed and admired at PMQs every week when he was up against Blair as Opposition leader. Harman was out of her depth and kept repeating the same soundbite; Hague anticipated her responses, had some killer facts to throw at her and had far superior rhetoric, one-liners and soundbites.
12.30 Geoffrey Robinson raises a laugh by asking Harman to congratulate his "very good friend in another place" - ie Lord Mandelson, to whom he once lend several hundred thousand pounds.
12.28 Plaid Cymru's Elfyn Llwyd asks who nominated Sir Fred Goodwin for a knighthood and why. Harman says she understands it is was not related to his work in banking, but rather related to the service he had given to the Prince's Trust.
12.25 Tory backbencher Ann Winterton asks if it is true that part-privatisation of the Royal Mail is directly related to orders from the European Union. Harman says not.
12.20 Cable asks her to look at other public sector pension arrangements; she takes the opportunity to mention that William Hague got £30,000 for two after dinner speeches from Royal Bank of Scotland.
12.18 Vince Cable asks Harman about pensions law. He wants the Government to use existing legislation to stop Sir Fred Goodwin and others from taking their pension on the basis of negligence. UK Financial Investments are to investigate the matter, she replied.
12.17 Harman accuses Hague several more times of focusing on political gossip and says again that Labour are "fighting for Britain's future".
12.16 Hague: "Isn't it clearer than ever that the people who got us into this mess cannot be the people to get us out of it?"
12.15 Harman replies that there are lessons to be learned and that the Opposition needs to learn lessons too. She mocked him for having promised more deregulation when he was Leader of the Opposition.
12.13 Hague: "I may only be a deputy now, but at least I'm a loyal one". Will she advise the PM to say sorry for past mistakes?
12.11 Harman responds: "He focuses on political gossip, we focus on fighting for Britain's future".
12.09 Hague said a series of measures were yet to be implemented - a jobs recruitment scheme has been delayed, a mortgage support scheme is yet to be worked out. He then taunted Harman about her leadership ambitions: "When Chamberlain lost his party's confidence, Churchill stepped forward. When Eden crossed the Atlantic exhausted Supermac came forward. This could be her moment!"
12.08 The Speaker admonishes Greg Hands for shouting at Harman for not answering the question. Harman says that the Tories opposed most measures the Government is implementing to get credit moving.
12.07 Hague states the Government said its loan scheme would be operation by March 1st. He asks Harman to do everything possible to speed up its implementation.
12.05 Hague promises to hold the Government to its commitment to better equip our troops. He then asks if it is right that the Government's loan guarantee scheme is not yet operational. Harman admits that it is "being finalised"
12.03 William Hague also expresses his horror at the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team and expresses a desire to see better equipment for our forces in Afghanistan. Harman welcomes what he said and paid her own tribute to those who perished in the attack.
Noon: Harriet Harman opens by paying tribute to the soldiers who died in Afghanistan over the last week.
Jonathan Isaby
Anne Winterton - what a waste of a question.
Posted by: HF | March 04, 2009 at 12:27
It was a delight to watch William Hague on such good form. However, it was a bit like the case of the not very good batsman cleaned bowled by Freddie Trueman. The batsman congratulated Fred, saying: "That was an excellent ball", to which Fred answered: "Yes - it was wasted on thee".
Posted by: David Belchamber | March 04, 2009 at 12:46
The usual silence on MP expenses abuses on all sides of the House...
I guess Cameron's "cleaning up in politics", sorry "cleaning up politics" has gone the same way as "sharing the proceeds of growth".
Posted by: GB£.com | March 04, 2009 at 12:50
I am not usually a Hague Fan but have to take off my hat to him on the way he trounced Harperson. It was a delight to watch.
Posted by: steve foley | March 04, 2009 at 13:01
As soon as the Wintertons retire and allow new blood to take over, the better.
Posted by: Justin Hinchcliffe | March 04, 2009 at 13:07
Amen Justin
Posted by: Robert Reynolds | March 04, 2009 at 13:11
Anne Winterton needs to read the relevant EU law, which, with its requirements of minimum service and specific permission for state aid when non-economically feasible due to the vitality to communities of a functional nearby postal service, is actually the only hope of keeping the royal mail going!
Posted by: John Smith | March 04, 2009 at 13:16
Wulliam should have pointed out that our troops in afghanistan could have been better equipped if some of the needed equipment was actualy sent to them and not held back in england to be used against it's own population.
the MOD should also be buying equipment suited for the field, and not riot shields and tear gas, which is intended for use against potential rioters in the UK.
Posted by: chris southern | March 04, 2009 at 13:21
Ummm, didn't dear Sir Fred get his Knighthood for "services" to banking?
Posted by: Neil Evans | March 04, 2009 at 13:48
I haven't enjoyed PMQs for months. Anyone who wasn't in tears of laughter after Hague compared Harmon to Churchill is just missing out on all the fun of life!
Posted by: Ben | March 04, 2009 at 14:31
Amazing that the Guardian managed to see success in Harman's failure.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2009/mar/04/harman-hague-pmqs
Only a moron could have watched PMQs and still speak well of her performance.
Posted by: youmustbejoking | March 04, 2009 at 15:10
I did not see PMQs but have read your report and the Guardian comments, sorry, from both Harman won on points. Which is worrying. On most line by line reports on this site Labour ministers usually win because they come with a script and work it in while the Tories only ever seem interested in what happened in the last few days and are unaware of how the reported words sound outside the Westminster bubble. Hague should have seen the deregulation bit coming ages ago and detoxed it.
(It's worth adding that on many ocasions Osborne has taken Darling to the cleaners and back in spades and little is heard of it.)
Posted by: David Sergeant | March 04, 2009 at 16:46
Fred Goodwin did indeed get his Knighthood for banking, I've seen the offical honours list for that year. It's easy to find online if anyone wants to look.
Now was Harman a) Lying to parliament when she said it was for charity work?
or was she b) getting her facts wrong as she is totally incompetant?
Either way it's just not right that she should be allowed to get away with it. I dont want anyone to have been sat at home watching her lie and thinking oh well Labour gave him that knighthood for a valid reason"!
Posted by: DJT | March 04, 2009 at 17:05
Oh my i've just read that article in the Guardian! Is someone having a joke!
That was the best PMQs performance by a Tory (albeit against the weakest possible person) since Howard delivered his "This grammar school boy" line in 2004?
Comparing Harman to Churchill was just inspired, her face was a picture...you could even see in her naive idiocy that she actually almost considers the comparrision to be accurate!! hahaha
Posted by: DJT | March 04, 2009 at 17:10
"Tory backbencher Ann Winterton asks if it is true that part-privatisation of the Royal Mail is directly related to orders from the European Union. Harman says not."
Of course it is!, its just that the Labour Regime dont want the silly sheeple to know that they are working directly for the EU and are merely implimenting their agenda, the EU is the root cause of virtually all of England's problems, and we will never even begin to recover until out of this Dictatorship.
http://img2.abload.de/img/postboxesmergedtlg.jpg
Posted by: steve | March 04, 2009 at 17:27
Harman was terrible,i don't think hague was a good as usual when he takes over,he didn't have to be.
We need to put more pressure on Brown for a Apology though,DATA out today shows the economy probably hit bottom in the 4th quarter.
Althought still contracting the Service PMI,which is crucial hit 43.2(50 denotes growth),this was far better than Eurozone,and USA,and even the Doom mongers are now the one's saying the UK GDP hit bottom in the 4th Qtr.
The Service sector is 75% of GDP,the PMI's are the most accurate Data as they come from the companies themselves,they also say they are cutting less jobs & are most confident in 5 months on the outlook.It is the 3rd consectutive rise in the index.
We could be looking at a resumption of GDP growth by late 09 early 2010,we need to exploit the problems between the Labour front bench,especially Harman-Brown,Darling-brown,before they see a upturn as close ranks behind Brown.
Why havn't the Tories pressed on the crucial statement by the BOE Governor,QUOTE'borrowing was too high going into the downturn'.
This confirms everything the Tories have been saying,at it comes for the man who runs te BOE,appointed by Brown.
Posted by: Richard | March 04, 2009 at 17:51
A delicious michael-take of the Machiavellian Harperson comes to us courtesy of the beloved Daily Mash:
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/science-%26-technology/%27obscene%27-gravity-must-be-repealed%2c-says-harman-200903021611/
The last line really puts everything into perspective.
Posted by: Mara MacSeoinin | March 04, 2009 at 17:55
I'd love Harman to become Labour Leader. That way Labour would be sure to lose the next general election. I don't think I've met anyone who likes her.
Now if Labour ran Straw at the next election...
Posted by: Hugh Oxford | March 04, 2009 at 20:33
Yorkshire Nipper 6 Hapless Hattie 0
{read it in a posh Edinburgh voice;)}
Posted by: Super Blue | March 04, 2009 at 22:39
I certainly enjoyed every minute of it.
The Labour Party is more divided and rudderless than it's been since 1983. It's mandate has expired, its leader is moribund, detached and isolated and its MPs don't know what they collectively stand for any more.
Miliband's and Darling's expressions when Hague cheerfully teased Harman about loyalty in contrasting ways were very telling.
It's now completely clear: Labour desperately needs a new leader with fresh ideas, untainted by culpability for this recent economic calamity. But who? Harman?! Hmmm.
No disrespect to Hague, who remains a wonderful performer and a precious asset to party and to nation, but the Tories already have one in Cameron.
But more crucial is that the country desperately needs a new, legitimate, attentive and undamaged Premier.
It's not hard to join the dots. A general election must be forced on Brown for the good of the country whatever perceived potential peril to an understandably over-cautious Tory Party hierarchy there might be.
The mood of the whole debate has shifted - utterly and irreversibly. There's impatience everywhere and a yearning for a fresh approach.
NOW is the moment to go for it.
Posted by: denverthen | March 05, 2009 at 00:48
The Guardian article was pure fantasy. Each time Harman and Hague meet at PMQ's, Haemans sits there, stumbling and mumbling, correcting herself. She invariably has to correct at least one statement later on, havingbeen paniced into saying anything to get off the hook. She has the aspect of a snake caught by a mongoose for 30 mins every time.
Posted by: grumpy old man | March 05, 2009 at 08:31
It shows how desperate Labour are when Harperson is the best they have to offer as a Deputy Leader.
I thought she was thrown out of the Cabinet about ten years ago when Social Security Secretary for 'not being up to the job'. She's like a political zombie - checked out ages ago but somehow still walking around!
Harperson put in an embarrassing performance and would likely find herself out of her depth in a puddle, let alone facing William Hague at PMQ's.
Posted by: A Reformed Labour Voter | March 05, 2009 at 11:13
Hattie was hardly the best Widow Twankie I've ever watched!
Posted by: Curly | March 05, 2009 at 13:00
"12.25 Tory backbencher Ann Winterton asks if it is true that part-privatisation of the Royal Mail is directly related to orders from the European Union. Harman says not."
Simple. Harman says not. Nothing to see here. Move on quickly.
But wait. Is it really so simple? And if it isn't, why collude so openly with your chums in nulabour?
The answer is detailed here: http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2009/03/yesterday-in- parliament.html
Ann Winterton bats for the country while you bowl against it. And some of you people have the nerve to slag her off.
Vote conservative? I'd like to. But I see no conservative party around now to vote for. Just a bunch of masqueraders, and worse. What a waste.
Posted by: John Archer | March 05, 2009 at 16:12
It seems evident that under the Conservatives we will still be ruled by Brussels.Exchanging one set of poodles for another.
Posted by: Peter | March 05, 2009 at 16:47
Anne Winterton needs to read the relevant EU law, which, with its requirements of minimum service and specific permission for state aid when non-economically feasible due to the vitality to communities of a functional nearby postal service, is actually the only hope of keeping the royal mail going!
The level of ignorance shown in this statement is unbelievable. You need to read the facts.
The profitable bits of the Royal Mail were hived off under EU law.
Posted by: Geoff Middelton | March 06, 2009 at 11:59
I see with HF's and Justin Hinchcliffe's we have the usual well-informed comments from the 'so called modern Tory party. Sadly, along with John Smith's comments it just shows ill informed some people are about the consequences of EU Union policy. And yes John she has read the relevant law and evidently knows alot more than you, but that wouldn't be difficult! Another example of a tory who really does not know his arse from his elbow!
Posted by: ROBERT | March 07, 2009 at 11:58
Good for her.
Posted by: Graham Hamblin | March 13, 2009 at 14:17
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