PMQs Summary

Cross-posted from Calling England. For those interested the videos of today's PMQs will be posted at Calling England shortly.

PMQs SUMMARY

The faces and names at the Despatch Box may have changed this week but the tribute to our Armed Forces has not.

Marine Jonathan Crookes, 40 Commando Royal Marines
Senior Aircraftman Kinikki (Griff) Griffiths, RAF Regiment
Sgt David Monkhouse, Royal Dragoon Guards
Staff Sgt Brett Linley, 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Rgt, Royal Logistic Corps

It was all a bit of a mess this week. Clegg and Straw faced each other and Straw reminded me of an old ham actor, patently past his best but offered one last chance to grab the limelight. He milked it for all it was worth and, to my mind, didn't come out of it too well, having to look to the prompt box for his lines and still fumbling and stumbling his way through. He mistook shouting and finger-pointing as a substitute for asking strong questions

Clegg stuck to coalition policy lines - blame the previous government, mention Mandelson, Liam Byrne, talk about the structural deficit. I know they've only been in office for nine or ten weeks but I'm becoming tired of hearing them spout the same old lines of defence - just like Labour Ministers used to do.

The first question, from Ian Mearns, Lab, Gateshead, concerned the cutting of the Building Schools for the Future programme at the cost of five schools in his area . Osborne's face at Mearns' mention of LibDem councillors 'fearing losing their seats' was a perfect picture of pained disdain.

David Burrowes, Con, Enfield Southgate, asked the second question which concerned the extradition of Gary McKinnon. Clegg reported that the PM had had discussions with Obama and 'that notwithstanding the gravity of the alleged crime they hoped to find a way forward'.

Then it was time for Straw: his presence raised cheers and laughter from all sides of the House. He first asked about the the Kabul Conference & the timetable for withdrawal of our AF from Afghanistan and the remainder of his questions related to the loan to Sheffield Forgemasters, which for some reason initially elicited groans. The long-winded and shouting Straw really pushed and prolonged his questions and managed to also mention marriage tax breaks and Lord Ashcroft.

If nothing else, do watch the first ten/fifteen minutes of the exchange and see how many times both Clegg and Straw are self-referential and Bercow feels he has to intervene, in fact I heard his voice as often as I heard any other. He almost denied Straw his 6th question too, which only added to the sense of confusion.

Questions asked by backbenchers included:

Civil liberties; Big Society; Sheltered Housing; the raising of VAT; the decline in social mobility; Disability Living Allowance; Crown Dependencies & Overseas Territories; investment in Sedgefield; detention of children (immigration); Afghanistan; funding to rural areas.

Is your MP here?

Claire Perry, Con, Devizes; Ian Lavery, Lab, Wansbeck; Margot James; Con, Stourbridge; Elfyn Llwyd, Plaid Westminster Leader; Phillip Lee, Con, Bracknell; Kate Green, Lab, Stretford & Urmston; Andrew Rosindell, Con, Romford; Phil Wilson, Lab, Sedgefield; Julian Huppert, LibDem, Cambridge; Jeremy Corbyn, Lab, Islington North; JesseNorman, Con, Hereford & South Herefordshire.

You only need to look at the comparatively short list of backbenchers who had time to ask questions this week to realise how long the Clegg/Straw exchange lasted.

Videos to follow.

Tweet