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PMQs - The Verdict
Edward Davie
Prime minister's question time was dominated by Northern Rock but with Jacqui Smith's nocturnal snacking in SE15 and Only Fools and Horses being raised, Peckham provided an unlikely sub-plot.
Conservative MP Stephen Crabb began proceedings by asking: "What is happening on Britain's streets when the home secretary needs an armed police escort to go out and buy a kebab?"
It was a reference to a member of Smith's staff attempt to qualify the home secretary's remark that she did not feel safe on London's streets after dark, by revealing that she had bought a portion of the Greek delicacy in Peckham just the other night.
Anyone who has had a kebab in that neck of the woods might think a health and safety inspector would have been more appropriate than a close protection officer - although both might be handy.
Then it was David Cameron's turn and for the second week running he used all of his questions to ask about Northern Rock.
The Conservative leader wanted to know how much of the taxpayer's money was exposed and for how long.
"The prime minister won't tell us how much the taxpayer is in for - it is £55bn," Cameron said. Answering your own enquiry rather begs the question: what was the point of asking it?
Brown came back: "He should think very carefully about what he has been saying about Northern Rock. In September he said he was 'wholeheartedly behind' our proposals to save Northern Rock, in the last few weeks he and his shadow chancellor have toyed with nationalisation, administration and a private sale. Is it not time that the opposition was consistent in their thinking about Northern Rock?"
The government may have toyed, and continue to toy, with all those options themselves but Brown sounded in command - his stammer was gone and on the economy, even in difficult times, he is at his most comfortable.
Cameron then said that Brown's failure to disclose all the details was "like a used car salesman who won't tell you the price, won't tell you the mileage, won't give you a warranty - he's gone from prudence to Del Boy without even touching the ground."
Surely it was Boycey not Del Boy who was the used car salesman? A majority of the British public may not fully grasp the intricacies of the American sub-prime lending meltdown's repercussions for the UK banking sector but they certainly do know their sitcom characters.
Accusing the Tories of "opportunism" and of "putting the economy at risk" Brown quoted former chancellor Ken Clarke praising the state of the UK economy despite global uncertainty.
But if Brown thought big Ken would allow that to pass without comment he was wrong.
Clarke intervened to accuse Brown of handing over the public finances to Alistair Darling "in a quite appalling mess."
The prime minister retorted by saying he had "inherited a very difficult situation from him," to the pantomime incredulity of the Tory benches.
Having played himself in during his first two appearances Nick Clegg failed to make any headway this time.
The fact that he ploughed on with Northern Rock despite David Cameron's half-dozen questions on that subject betrayed a lack of dexterity.
Clegg said that Brown was "running scared of the Conservative Party" which did nothing other than delight Tory MPs who drowned out whatever it was the Liberal Democrat leader's point was meant to be.
The Verdict
Gordon Brown: 8/10 - Dealt confidently with economic questions.
David Cameron: 6/10 - Another far from devastating six questions on Northern Rock.
Nick Clegg: 5/10 - Wasted his chance to take a different tack from Cameron.
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Published: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:41:47 GMT+00
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