I’ve always thought that Cameron, like his role model Tony Blair, was pretty good at PMQs. Not even the most ardent supporter of Gordon Brown would claim that he regularly wiped the floor with Cameron, and in truth, always having the last word, the PM should be in command of the situation.
But over the last couple of weeks before the Easter break he did look vulnerable. Not just to Miliband, but generally. I think his weakness is partially because he is being poorly briefed, but mostly it seems to be down to not having a full grasp of the issues, particularly around the NHS reforms.
A few weeks ago when asked by Ed Miliband about the implications of EU competition rules on Lansley’s planned changes, Cameron stared hopelessly into the middle distance, as if Miliband had suddenly asked a question in Cantonese, and then proceeded to answer an entirely different question altogether.
Today, rattled by Miliband’s question on why 98% of nurses had given Lansley the black spot… he did it again, blushing with embarrassment as he admitted they needed to take the workforce with them. Later, when pressed on the subject he got redder and redder in the face, embarked on a confused ramble about an ex-Labour MP who was a GP and who we were told thought clinicians were deliriously happy with Lansley’s plans, before wittering on about the NHS in Wales in answer to every question asked of him… and concluding with his patronising Michael Winner impersonation.
Perhaps the lad should take a few moments during the ‘listening period’ on the NHS Bill to brief himself on the subject a bit, and do a bit of listening.
Sometimes Cameron is beyond parody. It’s hardly prime ministerial to keep bleating ‘calm down dear’ at Angela Eagle. When Obama described him as a ‘lightweight’ he was being over generous.
I find Cameron’s worship of Blair extremely creepy. I know you’re not a fan of Blair, Bob, but I think his heart was always in the right place, even when he was wrong, and he did very effectively kick Tory arse like no other Labour leader has managed. Cameron models himself on Blair but can never be like him because he doesn’t understand Blair’s moral convictions and basic decency.
I think the Labour benches today were more riled by Cameron than usual – there’s so many reasons to loathe the man (for example his filling the Lords to capacity whilst pressing ahead with his cunning gerrymandering plan to reduce MPs from 650 to 600). However the Blair/Brown royal wedding snub, with the finger of suspicion regarding who’s behind it firmly pointing at Cameron, may have been the tipping point. It doesn’t really matter whether you couldn’t give a toss about the wedding (because I don’t and suspect a lot of the Labour benches don’t either), what it says about Cameron’s pettiness and spite is quite appalling.
Nicky… I must say I agree with you on everything…. almost! The phrase “Blair’s moral convictions and basis decency” is certainly not something I could accept. His deceit over WMD and the attitude to Dr Kelly showed a complete lack of morality or decency in my opinion.
I understand that, although I think Blair’s failings were also hyped up by the Tory media. Anyway, Ed’s drawn a line under the Blair era.
This reminds me of when I bought Blair’s autobiography last year with a token for my birthday – the young guy who served me looked at the book as if it was a block of toxic waste!
Cameron is always going to be no more than a third-rate PR man. He only got back into politics because his career at Carlton went t*ts up.
Great comment on the Mail (of all things) website from ‘Tony, Liverpool’:
‘She [Angela Eagle] should have walked over and slapped the upper class twit, and said “you’ve been tangoed.” That’s off a humorous advert as well.’
Off topic, but do you think, in between all your foreign holidays, Councillor, you could actually earn some of the money the hard-pressed electors of Sandwell pay you? The place sounds like a shambles and it has nothing to do with politics, it’s the officials who are obviously out of control and it is supposed to be your job to bring them to heel. Anna Raccoon will tell you:
http://www.annaraccoon.com/politics/tilting-at-windmills/
Yes “all my foreign holidays’”. I think you have already grovelled an apology for getting that wrong, but I won’t publicly rub your nose in the cat litter again. I must be going soft.
“Anna Raccoon will tell you” Yes, indeed, but what will she tell you? Well, actually, the usual mish-mash of right-wing half-truths and innuendo. Why should we be surprised? The “undemocratic” Council (errrm, elected, in exactly the same way as every other council – but who voted for Anna?) is planning to build a giant turbine on the site of a local beauty spot (no they are not). Then there’s the reference to the “financial director”… who isn’t a director of any kind. Oh, and take a look at the mock-up picture, where the residents are going to be subjected to the noise from this giant turbine that is not being planned. Count the houses. In your own time now.
Well, most of her commenters including those who live in the area seem to agree with her, and one of them wrote this rather witty rhyme:
Livewire May 1, 2011 at 11:22
New religion is born and it’s green
Submit or be deemed as unclean
Praise emperor’s clothes
While you pay through the nose
It’s red with a verdigris sheen
Gotta love that last line!
Incidentally, how much has that narrow boat cost the council tax payers of Sandwell?
Of course they agree with her… the simpletons believe everything the dotty sod says!
It must be me, but looking around all Parties at the moment we do have a lack of real quality politicians, I know we have a few, but dam they are getting rare.
Yes, but you’re a Tory supporter so I’m not surprised you are disappointed.