Bob Piper has been a Labour Councillor for the Abbey
Ward in Sandwell, West Midlands, for 10 years. He is a lifelong supporter of Aston Villa Football Club and a follower of Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
The views expressed here are mine in a personal capacity, not those of the Labour Party, Sandwell MBC, Aston Villa or Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Get it! Mine... just mine!
Promoted by Bob Piper of 115 Barclay Rd, B67 5JZ on behalf of the Labour Party, care of 39 Victoria Street London, SW1H 0HA . Hosted (printed) by Swaithe Internet Solutions who are not responsible for any of the contents of these posts.
Please note however, that The Labour Party is not responsible for the content of this website or individual posts as, unless specifically stated, I am writing solely in a personal and individual capacity.
Promoted by Bob Piper of 115 Barclay Rd, B67 5JZ on behalf of the Labour Party, care of 39 Victoria Street London, SW1H 0HA . Hosted (printed) by Swaithe Internet Solutions who are not responsible for any of the contents of these posts.
Please note however, that The Labour Party is not responsible for the content of this website or individual posts as, unless specifically stated, I am writing solely in a personal and individual capacity.
I have said here before that PMQs owes more to show business than it does to politics - but in an era of 24 hour news it is still important. OK, not many people will watch the whole half an hour, but through news coverage the media will be the message and the snappy sound bite or calculated put down can have a big impact on public opinion.
The fact is, over the last year, Cameron has had by far the better of the exchanges with Gordon Brown. And that reflects particularly badly on Brown. The structure of PMQs, with an inbuilt advantage of the last word to the PM, makes it doubly difficult for the Leader of the Opposition to land a killer punch. Many people will not realise it, but Jim Callaghan regularly wiped the floor with Thatcher twice a week, and even John Major would routinely slap down the more eloquent Kinnock.
Tomorrow's exchanges could be particularly interesting. Cameron has got to avoid his natural inclination to come across as slick and smug. As we saw during the Conservative Party conference his advisers counselled against the stand up comic routine. Serious times call for serious leaders, not a cross between Jim Davidson and Michael Heseltine.
For Brown the seriousness comes naturally, and his new found 'peace in our times' government of national unity could restore his shattered confidence at the dispatch box. But at a time of crisis people also want to see decisive leadership, and that has certainly been lacking in the 12 months since 'the election that never was'. A good solid performance at PMQs will also stiffen the backbone and resolve of some of those backbenchers who like to get their names in the paper. A bad one... and who knows, this could be the shortest revival in living memory.
So switch on tomorrow - it should be interesting, but don't be surprised if we don't get fireworks as Cameron tries to avoid the Punch and Judy show and Brown tries to hold back with the clunking fist.
Second's out...
Apparently from tomorrow, Adam Boulton will be presenting a new PMQs programme on Sky News from 11.45 til 1.00pm. Part of the show will be a look at what bloggers are saying about that week's session. So if you want to swap the trivia of The Daily Politics for a far more incisive coverage, you might want to give it a try.
Chris Blore said:
October 7, 2008 7:04 PM | permalink
A very fair analysis, I think, although I personally don't think the political narrative will change greatly on the back of PMQs. Granted, these sessions make good soundbites for the lunchtime news but I'd argue that it is largely political anoraks that pay the closest attention. Ultimately, elections tend to be won and lost according to which party puts the most pounds in the pockets of the most people. To that end, the PM could again be helped by the rumoured bailout of the UK banks to be announced, according to Robert Peston on the BBC.
Still, interesting times are ahead I think and the Conservative response to any bailout that is announced will be particularly interesting to see as their message (and even I as a Conservative member am still not 100% certain what it is I'm afraid!) could well be drowned out if they merely give their support as they seem to have pledged to do so far.
jaymason said:
October 7, 2008 7:08 PM | permalink
Hmmmmm never heard Neil Kinnock described as eloquent before, pompous windbag yes, eloquent no.
Best speech I ever heard was given by Kinnock, the day he ridiculed Derek Hatton Liverpools favourite son, he was brilliant that day. He would also have been a good PM, trouble was he like Cameron thought he had it won, and he like Cameron will find he/they haven't/hadn't, not yet anyway.Still time for Gordon to show he's the boss, as for PMQs irrelevant, as is Adam Boulton.
Do not worry once Campbell leaves Brown will be back to his best, like saying something dopey like Bush is to blame for the British banking or it was Cameron, or Hitler or the disabled and sick. Everyone except him.
October 7, 2008 7:04 PM | permalink
A very fair analysis, I think, although I personally don't think the political narrative will change greatly on the back of PMQs. Granted, these sessions make good soundbites for the lunchtime news but I'd argue that it is largely political anoraks that pay the closest attention. Ultimately, elections tend to be won and lost according to which party puts the most pounds in the pockets of the most people. To that end, the PM could again be helped by the rumoured bailout of the UK banks to be announced, according to Robert Peston on the BBC.
Still, interesting times are ahead I think and the Conservative response to any bailout that is announced will be particularly interesting to see as their message (and even I as a Conservative member am still not 100% certain what it is I'm afraid!) could well be drowned out if they merely give their support as they seem to have pledged to do so far.