Flailing Cameron sinks in first PMQs since the Budget
Protest: It’s bitterly amusing that David Cameron was defending George Osborne in the Commons chamber while, directly outside, the #CutOsborne protest was taking place, demanding his removal as Chancellor.
What a disaster for the Conservatives. Here’s David Cameron’s response to criticism of the Budget:
“Britain is the envy of the world. Britain is getting stronger. Labour is a threat to the economic security of people’s families. Labour is proposing more spending and more debt. ”
All are questionable factually and none answered the questions that were put to him.
Asked to apologise for the uncertainty in which Personal Independence Payment claimants were plunged by George Osborne’s Budget statement a week ago, Cameron wheedled: “You do not get every decision right.” Perhaps he is hoping we’ll forget that cutting PIP was the major plank of the Budget?
He repeated the half-truth that disability spending is increasing. Maybe spending is rising as a whole, but there are more claimants due to the failure of other Conservative Government policies, meaning the amount people receive has fallen. That’s compassionate Conservatism for you!
Cameron repeated the lie that poverty has fallen. The fact that I’m calling it out as a lie straight away shows how useless it is.
The prime minister said the removal of the PIP cut could be absorbed, allowing Corbyn to land another heavy blow: If it’s easy to absorb the axing of the PIP cuts, the Opposition leader asked, why make those cuts in the first place? Would he reverse the ESA cut as well?
Cameron avoided answering the first question and said only that the ESA cuts had been passed by Parliament. True – but only after he claimed financial privilege to prevent the Lords from sending them back.
Here are the facts about ESA: Apparently Tory MPs were told that the £30 per week cut was only for people who were capable of work, indicating they don’t understand the benefit at all. By definition, nobody claiming ESA is capable of work.
On the “black hole” at the centre of Osborne’s Budget, Cameron avoided an answer but started banging on about the deficit the Tories inherited in 2010. Six years ago!
Then he went off on a rant about paying off our debts today, rather than leaving our children to pick up the tab. What about tuition fees, then?
It seems clear that Cameron realised he was sinking, so he turned to his gimmick of the day – a leaked document that appears to name Labour MPs who are hostile to Corbyn. One wonders which Blairite traitor handed that list to their enemy…
Rather than answer any questions, Cameron decided to pick out members of the Opposition and read out what the document said about them.
Was this any way for a statesman to behave? Of course not.
Yet in its summation of the clash, The Guardian‘s commentator said, “It was Cameron’s day.”
In a pig’s mouth, it was.
Cameron was flailing badly and ended up sinking beneath the weight of his own drivel.
His day has been and gone, and good riddance.
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Rather than answer Corbyn’s question the PM blathered this out:
““Britain is the envy of the world. Britain is getting stronger. Labour is a threat to the economic security of people’s families. Labour is proposing more spending and more debt. ”
What he really was trying to avoid saying is that:
“Britain is fast becoming a joke around the world, Britain’s economy is falling behind much of Europe’s and beyond. Labour is, if it sticks to it’s Corbynomic plans, the salvation of our economic security currently under threat because of Tory austerity, which will see families recover from the foolish policies Conservatives have pursued. Labour is proposing investing in the people and the country and as per previous terms of office will borrow less than Conservatives and pay more back than Conservatives.”
Not quite the same really, is it?
Cameron really pisses me off . I can even recite what he is going to say before he says it. We have a low tax , High wage, and high economic security. a lot more than we got in 2010 when we had to pick up the pieces Labour left behind. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. Talks pure do do, needs a tissue for the s*** running from his mouth.
Only 4 more years!
Brilliantly said
The politics of the viewer affect the perceptions of PMQs. I thought Cameron was in excellent form today. Corbyn looked weaker than usual. The spreadsheet of supporters or not of Corbyn among Labour MPs was amusing to say the least.
I would guess the Conservatives have 4 years plus at least another 10.
Yes, your comment does show that the politics of the viewer affects your perception.
That list is the object of considerable hilarity among Labour MPs, by the way.
Fully agree Mike, the difference is that Corbyn acts in a statesman like manner whereas cameron acts like a silly schoolboy in a debate where he has no idea of the facts or what it is actually about.
I didn’t see PMQs, so I can’t comment on yesterday’s performance, however i would agree that the politics of the viewer affects your perceptions of PMQs. You said that Cameron was in “excellent form”. What exactly did you mean by “excellent form”? Do you mean that he was in excellent form because he was throwing cheap insults and Corbyn was reduced to cowering in a corner? Do you mean that, because Cameron wasn’t answering a single question properly or at all? Is your view of the success of PMQs based on which leader can ‘abuse’ the best and get away with it?
I think I have a good idea of what your answer might be, but I’d still be interested to get an answer from you. Cheers!
Corbyn cowering in a corner? I did watch PMQs and nothing of that sort happened!
Mike, I think I used the wrong choice of words there, sorry about that, I was referring to the fact that Corbyn doesn’t respond to personal insults, silly remarks etc, I was sort of looking at it in a cartoony sort of way (if that makes any sense).
Could Cameron tell the truth even if his life depended on it ??
Totally agree in what you say, if I am honest I listened up to the point when Mr.Corbyn asked for a straight answer either yes or no, Straight away Cameron birched off like some hormonal infant.
I just had to turn it off, he sickens me to the core, what damn arrogance struts around like a Xmas turkey.
Perfectly put :-)
Cameron really is a shallow and oily spiv. Simple as that.
If Cameron’s brain and heart were a big as his huge mouth he might just possibly give the impression of being a decent leader. I can’t bear the thought of another four years of his ranting and raving.
Or the list is made up by Tory Central Office! ?
Sorry NMac a polished car salesman more appropriate, but having said that he does have hormonal problems, don’t think his gender has come to fruition even in his later years. Appears he has spent to much to time with pigs as opposed to genuine human beings.
When I witnessed a recent picture of him with the Crab holding a lamb, my thoughts where God help the lamb, but any port in a storm will do for Cameron.
“He repeated the half-truth that disability spending is increasing”.
Does the ‘increased amount not include the swathes of cash being used to fund the cuts?
Your question doesn’t make any sense at all. Was it intended to?
I think, but obviously don’t wish to put words into the persons mouth, that the meaning was to do with spending on the procedural side of things as opposed directly on the disabled and sick… such as spending more on the WCA than the “savings” the changes were intended to make.
The huge amount of money being spent on the PIP re-testing, is another one.
Does the various spending on the poverty pimps running workUNfare and all the other stuff count as money “spent on” the sick, disabled, and unemployed.
I would like to know if these areas/items are counted as spending “on” the disabled.
It would be interesting to find out the expenditure “on” the various spending areas within the DWP broken down into “cash in the back pocket” and “cash managing the spending area, dodgy poverty pimps, et.al.”
Well, I’ve stopped watching PMQs now, because I just got fed up of listening to the usual cr*p and lies (never mind the cheap purile infantile insults that Cameron dishes out to Corbyn nearly each week) coming out of the PMs mouth. I just rely on this blog, and what I happen to see via C4 news (I don’t watch BBC news anymore).
I did catch that list thing on twitter via John Woodcock (he claims it makes the Lab party a total embarrassment or something like that). When I saw that, I actually thought for a second that Corbyn had messed up big style.
Apparently this list is a source of hilarity among Labour MPs, who don’t take it seriously at all. They’ve even started appealing to the Whips’ office to be moved from one group to another, in mockery of this document’s claims.
Mike, Can you (or have you already) done post on this?
“Apparently Tory MPs were told that the £30 per week cut was only for people who were capable of work, indicating they don’t understand the benefit at all.”
That’s outrageous and I’d be really interested to find out more about it.
This’ll be what you want:
http://voxpoliticalonline.com/2016/03/22/did-tories-cut-esa-because-of-a-lie-or-because-they-hate-the-sick-and-disabled/
Thanks, Mike.
Cameron and his like expect to be in charge not because of hard work but because of a sense of entertainment! The worst kind of person to be in charge!
“oily spiv” like that one!
Mike. have posted you a response from Petitions to Govt. re ESA cut. Only debating opportunity left is through a sympathetic Labour MP, which as you have no doubt figured out I don’t have. If you have a Labour MP could you ask him if he would take up what probably seems a lost cause? (Last paragraph)
The Petitions Committee decided not to debate the petition you signed – “Reverse the ESA disability benefit cut”
The House of Commons Petitions Committee has decided not to schedule a debate on this petition, because this subject has already been discussed and voted on in the House of Commons.
The changes to ESA were proposed in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill, which has been debated in both Houses of Parliament. In particular, on 2 March MPs debated and voted on House of Lords amendments to the Welfare Reform and Work Bill. This included an amendment on Employment Support Allowance, which was rejected. On 7 March the bill cleared its final parliamentary stage and it is now waiting to be signed into law.
You can read the debates at every stage of the Bill here:
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/welfarereformandwork.html
You can read the debate on 2 March here:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/cm160302/debtext/160302-0003.htm#16030293000001
The Petitions Committee is not the only way of getting a House of Commons debate on the subject of a petition. MPs could still try to get time for a further debate on this subject, if they wish to do so. There are many ways in which MPs can seek time for debates: individual MPs can apply for debates at the end of the day in the main Chamber, or for debates in Westminster Hall (the second debating Chamber of the House of
Commons).
Groups of backbenchers can ask the Backbench Business Committee for time for debate, either in the main Chamber of the House of Commons or in Westminster Hall. The Government and the Opposition parties also have the power to schedule debates.
If you want a debate on this subject, you could write to your local MP to let him or her know. You can use this page to find out how to contact your MP: http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/
The petition: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/124016
Find out more about the Petitions Committee: https://petition.parliament.uk/help#petitions-committee
Thanks,
The Petitions team
UK Government and Parliament
I have an extremely unsympathetic Tory empty suit for an MP.
Can anybody else help?
Britain might be the envy of the world,but not because of his govt as he seems to delude himself.
Cameron would make a better stand up comedian than being prime minister. Even then his jokes aren’t that funny. When will this man actually answer a question? Does he not think that we don’t notice his continual evasion and one man comedy act. Perhaps he should apply for BGT.
I have just heard that the shadow chancellor has committed to keep the policy of indemnifying banks against their criminal losses as well as maintaining austerity. If true, why on earth would Mr Corbyn back this? Bank bailouts are de facto thieving from the public purse (without our consent).
John McDonnell maintaining austerity?
Quite clearly false. Where did you get it?
Against my beliefs, I thought Cameron won at PMQs yesterday hands down. I am a Corbyn supporter but he just isn’t up to the challenge of sparring with Cameron.
It’s always good to see the tories squirm, I never tire of it!