Moon Of Liberty Politics – PMQ’s

Prime Ministers Questions – 11th Jan 2017

Corporation tax call sees Corbyn throw victory away

The first Prime Minister’s Questions of the New Year saw Jeremy Corbyn begin on comfortable ground. He started with condolences to a member of the armed forces, which quietly embarrassed Theresa May from the off as it is normally the PM who brings that up first in the early backbench questions.This is something David Cameron always did and for Theresa May to be doing it in response to the Leader of the Opposition is poor.

Unusually for Corbyn there were no surprises in the tack he took, straight on on the NHS problems which is one area he and Labour still have some strength in the public mind. He raised the Red Cross claim that what has happened is a ‘Humanitarian Crisis.’ May responded the Red Cross claim was ‘irresponsible and overblown.’ Corbyn the backed up with quotes from the BMA and Royal college of Nurses. May began waffling about the ‘hard work of medical professionals’ as means of diverting from the issue.

Corbyn accused May of being in denial and then raised a real life scenario of ‘Sian’ who had clearly written to him. In the David Cameron days this would bring huge groans from the Tory benches and his case would normally fall apart, it is a nod to how strongly Corbyn had started that this was not the case. May’s response of ‘I accept there have been a small number of cases’ by contrast were met by groans of derision from the Labour benches. Corbyn mocked the ‘shared society’ with more sharing trolleys, corridors etc. Corbyn at this point was on top. It was good stuff.

The turning point was Corbyn mentioning May’s focus on mental health and welcoming that. Not the ting to do when you are on top. He talked about an increase in mental health patients ‘having to go to A&E, May pointed out they should not be going to A&E, using a visit to an Aldershot Hospital and the importance of appropriate care for the individual. On this she spoke with passion and conviction, then Corbyn agreed these people should not be going to A&E after first saying they were forced to.The shambolic Corbyn of the last day or two was back.

May re-iterated the point ‘He may find it difficult to believe people may say the same thing they aid a few weeks ago.’ Poking fun at yesterday’s series at U-Turns. She then resorted to an old David Cameron tactic, that you can’t have a strong NHS without a strong economy. Corbyn then showed his weakness and fell into the trap, calling for Corporation tax cuts that have been shown to bring in more money to be scrapped. May pointed out he has spent that money that would immediately be saved eight times over, weakening the economy in the process.’The last thing the NHS needs is a cheque from Labour that bounces’ After a poor start enough to leave the Tory benches cheering at the end of the exchange, a score draw today that tells us Corbyn can score on the small picture, but May wins on the big picture.

Outside of the May v Corbyn exchange

SNP Leader Angus Robertson brought up the Northern Ireland crisis to call for Article 50 to be delayed, raising derision from both sides of the House. This was rebuffed by May who stated the plan to invoke Article 50 by March is still on course. Norman Lamb (Lib Dem MP for North Norfolk) stated MP’s from all parties had come together to call for a Health convention and wanted May to meet with them, she stated she would.John Woodcock  (Lab MP for Barrow In Furness) raised the special NHS service issues due to remote locations in Cumbria. Caroline Johnson (Con MP for Sleaford & N Hykeham) got to ask her first questions since her by election win, raising her local NHS (She was a doctor prior to becoming an MP.) Gavin Robinson (DUP MP for East Belfast) Praised May’s considered response to the Northern Ireland issue. Finally in the will anyone get told off by the Speaker this week watch, John Bercow reprimanded Paula Sheriff (MP for Dewesbury) for poor behaviour.

MOON OF LIBERTY VERDICT – Thresea May 2 Jeremy Corbyn 2 – A PMQ’s of two halves, Corbyn took the first half, May the second

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Could John Woodcock derail Jeremy Corbyn in weeks?

First of all I want to tip my hat to Political Betting whose article on this you can read here. So who is John Woodcock? He is the Labour MP for Barrow & Furness. He represents a constituency that has an interest in the building of the four Trident submarines that form the basis of the UK’s renewed nuclear deterrent. This is a policy that three of the Labour candidates for leader are committed too. Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall have all said they will back the renewal. It will come as little surprise to those who follow these things that there is an odd one out, the extremist candidate Jeremy Corbyn, who is opposed to renewal and wants to scrap the project altogether.

This is where John Woodcock comes in. In the May election earlier this year, John Woodcock made a pledge. Now yes OK, I know Nick Clegg once famously made a pledge too and that did not work out too well, But John Woodcock is not going to become the leader of a junior coalition partner. His pledge was that he is committed to the renewal of Trident with all four boats being built, and in the interests of his constituents, if Labour did not commit to this, he would resign as an MP.

At the time of course Ed Miliband was leader, and for all Ed Miliband’s faults, he was not opposed to the renewal of Trident as his Shadow Defense Secretary Vernon Coaker made clear on several occasions. At the time the polls were tight and Mr Woodcock probably thought there was a chance Ed Miliband would be Prime Minister by now. At the time I suspect he certainly never though that even if Ed Miliband did lose and stand down, we would be in a position 27 days from the new leader being announced, that Jeremy Corbyn would be favourite to get the job.

And there it is. If Corbyn wins the abolition of Trident will be official Labour Party Policy. Mr Woodcock could of course play semantics, that a Tory majority will push the boats through anyway, and they will be built so he won’t resign. From what little I have seen of Mr Woodcock he does not strike me as that kind of person. So if Labour voting against Trident does mean he resigns, that will create a by election in a constituency where Mr Corbyn’s policy is likely to create much anger.

In May John Woodcock won Barrow & Furness by a mere 795 votes. In normal circumstances an opposition should not be losing early by elections, even William Hague at the start of his doomed Tory leadership held the first by election he fought in Uxbridge defending only an 800 majority at the time. but given the circumstances this seat would surely be under threat with an extremist Labour leadership under pressure straight away from a confident Conservative Party. The electability of Mr Corbyn will be put to the test straight away and it is an election he must win if it happens., By losing a seat Ed Miliband won within weeks, the reputation of ‘Unelectable’ will be reinforced several times over right from the start and something is is unlikely he would ever recover from. John Woodcock could kill the credibility of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership within weeks.