Wednesday lunchtime. Rachel and I had lunch in the upstairs Boardroom. I had a classic super club, a “Love” bar, and a mocha coffee; Rachel just had vegetarian sushi and a Flower Fantastic.
We went into the Board Room at 11.50 to get hold of the TV control. Just as well, as at 12 noon in came Alex, Douglas, Paula and the Aines. Caroline came in shortly afterwards, which didn’t please Rachel, and Alan shambled in at ten past.
In the camera frame during the first couple of questions we could see Justice Minister Jack Straw on the front bench apparently sticking his tongue out.
“Is he sticking his tongue out?” said Aine 2.
“Do you mind, I’m eating” said Aine 1.
We watched the Justice Minister sticking his tongue out (“isn’t he just licking his lips?… no he’s definitely sticking his tongue out…”).
“He reminds me of a dirty old man on the train” said Paula. “I keep trying to get away from him but he waits until the last minute then gets in the same coach and sits exactly opposite. When he thinks no-one else is looking he half sticks his tongue out and stares at me.”
The to and fro began with Greg Hands MP (Tory) making a jibe about the Prime Minister’s unpopularity which is now lower than Iain Duncan-Smith at his nadir. This sort of baiting may backfire as Gordon Brown is fast assuming under-dog status (the British public tends to like underdogs). I half-expected Sebastian from Little Britain to appear at the bar of the House of Commons singing you are beautiful…
Generally Gordon Brown had a good Prime Minister’s Questions. His exchange with David Cameron was statesmanlike on both sides, mostly about the proposal to extend arrest without charge to 42 days. He also managed to make a good joke at Michael Howard’s expense (not easy to do).
He did waver at a couple of places, and twice used a variation of “we’ll take no lectures from you” (once referring to the Chief Constable of Northern Ireland and once on a point about poverty).
The sycophants seemed to have been culled this week but in their place appeared charity do-gooders who, because they were speaking on behalf of “good causes”, assumed an irritating high-moral-tone. One of these questioners, in a blatant example of product placement, held a big “Sign Up For Sudders” message while she asked her question about organ donations. Another questioner, Dawn Butler MP, insisted on spelling out a website url in her question, without the Speaker intervening to tell her not to misuse the state legislature (and the state broadcasting service) as an advertising medium (because these questioners claim to represent charities they practice a sort of moral blackmail that defies any criticism).
Sebastian (a sort of Derek Draper ministerial aide) at pmq’s: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPrQnWPLg8E&feature=related
Christina’s version (at Koko near Mornington Crescent): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-USUDzycRvM
Today’s PMQs: http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page306.asp
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