Prime Minister’s Questions – 17th July

Image by Victoria Kettlewell

How much of the UK’s legislation has been bought by lobbyists? Both sides of the House questioned that today. The Tories questioned Labour’s relationship with trade unions, in particular Unite, with Cameron stating that trade unions buy Labour’s policies, candidates, MPs and even leader. Meanwhile, Labour requested an answer to the connection between the advice of Lynton Crosby and the decision to not go ahead with plain packaging on tobacco products. Neither side gave particularly satisfactory answers. Miliband was particularly quiet on the day’s announcement of falling unemployment (despite long term unemployment levels having gone up) and this was something that Cameron made sure the House was aware of. As expected, another dominant topic was the Keogh Report, which placed 11 NHS Trusts under special measures with both sides of the house disagreeing on the change of number of nurses and clinical staff since the Government took power in 2010. The sight of Cameron lying back in relaxation, head towards the ceiling, was not unobvious; as we head into the Summer Recess, Cameron is in a strong position, with a recent poll placing Labour and the Conservatives on an equal lead, and he’s revelling in the knowledge. According to him, Labour’s leadership is “in crisis” – everyday, the country is getting stronger, and everyday Miliband’s leadership is getting weaker.

Prime Minister's Questions - 19th June

Image by Victoria Kettlewell

After a busy week at the G8 summit, David Cameron returned the House of Commons for his weekly scrutiny session, beginning with an announcement that the Chief Executive of BT, Ian Livingstone, would be joining the Government as the trade minister towards the end of the year. Ed Miliband immediately questioned the Prime Minister on whether the Government would be making amendments to the banking bill, based on the parliamentary commission on banking’s report, stating that Labour would be submitting them if the Government didn’t. However, consensus between the parties was found on this point. Miliband attacked the Government on the news that many in the banking sector received a bonus in April that was 64% higher than in the previous year, stating that it was the result of Cameron’s lowering of the highest rate of tax. Cameron failed to defend himself, instead retorting that the Labour party did not manage to sort the problem out themselves during their thirteen years in government. The rise in child poverty was also a dominant topic, with many Labour MPs attacking the Government’s policies that have caused this increase – all David Cameron could do was say that it was Labour’s fault, because they got the country into the economic crisis. Caroline Lucas asked the Prime Minister whether he would agree with her that The Sun newspaper should be removed from sale in the house, due to the link between the portrayal of women as sex objects in the media and the acceptance of sexual harassment. The Prime Minister laughed the question off, stating he was glad that she got her question asked after her “dazzling t-shirt”, but that he believes all newspapers should be available for sale in the house, disgustingly shrugging off the blatant sexism that The Sun prints.

Prime Minister’s Questions – 30th January

Image by Victoria Kettlewell

In the middle of a week where Cameron’s premiership announced some of their biggest plans for expenditure, it was unsurprising that Prime Minister’s Questions focused on the pressing issue of the economy. Miliband stated that the Prime Minister had said in 2010 that the economy would have grown 5% by now. In the midst of news of the economy contracting by 0.1%, Cameron, unable to defend himself, spouted out the usual list of statistics and initiatives that he hopes to make Labour look bad with. Of course, it wouldn’t have been complete without Cameron blaming the previous Labour Government for the mess; a constant reminder that we would not be forgiven for forgetting. Miliband laughed the claims off, demanding that the “part-time chancellor” spent more time fixing the economy than trying to divert the new High Speed 2 route around his constituency, before drawing on the fact that this Government have borrowed £212bn more than they had promised. Aside from this, Cameron finally gave way to the weekly question on when he would visit a Foodbank, stating he would soon be visiting the one in his constituency. Cameron also made a mockery of George Galloway who asked a question on Syria by stating that wherever there is a brutal Arab dictator in the world, he’ll have the support of the honourable gentleman.”