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PMQs - The verdict
Daniel Forman
With David Cameron on paternity leave, a right the Mirror enjoyed pointing out he had voted against in 2002, it fell upon shadow foreign secretary, 'senior shadow cabinet member' and, of course, former Tory leader William Hague to stand in at prime minister's questions.
It brought Hague face-to-face with Tony Blair for the first time since he stepped down as opposition leader in 2001 or, as Hague preferred to say, meant all three parties were "represented by stand-ins for the real leader".
Hague was always good at the wisecracks and had one or two more snappy lines up his sleeve as well: "Wouldn't it be better to have a watertight law designed to catch the guilty, rather than a press release law designed to catch the headlines?"
But ahead of key votes on the Terrorism Bill later in the day, Blair probably bested him on the issues, getting it about right when he said "the jokes are good but the judgement not so".
He also rather unnecessarily reminded him of the result of the 2001 election, as if to prove that PMQs matters little beyond SW1.
Blair hit Hague hard on the Conservative alliance with the Liberal Democrats in opposition to plans to outlaw the 'glorification' of terrorism, essentially branding him soft on security.
He came prepared with quotes from Hague's News of the World columns which called on the government to take tougher action.
"There is no point being tough the world over if we can't arrest people in our own backyard," Hague had written.
The shadow foreign secretary's more sophisticated argument that the glorification clause was "ineffective authoritarianism" was rather lost.
He could only say that it was the "opinion of all decent lawyers" that the legislation wouldn't work, adding that Blair "should ask one - he has probably got one at home".
The line fell a bit flat in the context - terrorism being not the best subject to joke about - and illustrated the difference between parliamentary and strategic skill.
Sir Menzies Campbell has been keen to show off his own oratorical ability on these occasions in his bid to win the Liberal Democrat leadership.
Perhaps feeling a bit more confident after some competent recent performances, he welcomed Willie Rennie to the Commons in his introductory remarks.
But a long-winded line about the Dunfirmline by-election winner having the chancellor as one of his constituents, Sir Menzies continued on a bit too long, leading Labour MPs to cry "get on with it".
Sir Peter Soulsby, who lost the Leicester South by-election for Labour in the last parliament only to win it at the general election, predicted that Rennie's stay in Westminster would be short.
And Labour MP Ian Davidson went a bit far for most tastes, saying Blair should not take advice from an "elderly toff".
Labour backbenchers were, sarcastically, much kinder to Simon Hughes, who they would really like to win the contest.
His question on housing was interrupted with cries of "he's very good", while Blair himself described it as "great".
He - and the absent Gordon Brown - would be quite happy to face Hague and Hughes every week.
The verdict
Blair: 8/10 - His angry act worked well.
Hague: 6/10 - Should stick to 'Have I Got News For You'.
Campbell: 6/10 - Could learn from Hague's one-liners.
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Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2006 14:04:49 GMT+00
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