Moon Politics – PMQ’s verdict

MOON POLITICS

Prime Minister’s Questions

AT THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, WESTMINSTER

Outside of the main May v Corbyn exchange

Prior to Jeremy Corbyn standing up Catherine McKinnell (Lab Newcastle North) opened raising the issue of apprentices affected by the collapse of Carillion & Simon Hoare (Con North Dorset) raised the recent strong manufacturing & productivity figures.

After the main exchange SNP leader Ian Blackwood promoted the Scottish Government’s economic analysis on Brexit, May hit back pointing GDP figures were lower in Scotland than elsewhere. Desmond Swayne (Con New Forest West) encouraged the PM to build on Iceland’s decision to go plastic free. Zac Goldsmith (Con Richmond Park) pushed for a judicial review of the John Warboys case. 

May v Corbyn

Today’s PMQ’s was one of Jeremy Corbyn’s worst. Part of his problem may be he had nowhere to go. Normally he likes to ignore what everyone else is talking about, today he had no choice but to go on the Carillion collapse which could have made it easier for Theresa May to prepare. He was schooled by Theresa May on the realities of Government. During the exchange May explained to him what a profit warning was, how Government contracts work, she was ready with the facts on the Crown Representative to Carillion procedure which Corbyn wrongly claimed had been left vacant with nobody taking responsibility. She even had time to put Emily Thornberry’s heckling in her place by stating she is aware of Thronberry recently praising Carillion, which was later proved correct.

At one point Corbyn embarrassingly forgot to even ask a questions which May pointed out to the cheers of the Tory benches. Corbyn also seemed to be of the view the Government is, or if not should be, responsible for the Management of a private companies. May responded by saying they were a customer of Carillion, not responsible for their management, yet again explaining reality. Corbyn finished with a rant about the private sector in general, exposing his statist authoritarian ideology. May’s final line in the exchange was to point out most people work in a private sector Labour dislike, quoting Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell saying business are ‘The Enemy.’ She ended by claiming this Labour Party put “politics before people”

Corbyn struck the wrong tone, trying to make the awarding of contracts political when a combination of the last Labour Government, the Welsh Labour run Government and Labour run local authorities had done so. He also perhaps more importantly moving forward demonstrated a lack of basic knowledge of how things work as and exposed his own statist ideology. Surprisingly he did not make so much of the difficulties people could face on the ground either and it was May who came across as more empathetic, as well as Prime Ministerial and on top of the facts. She also drew clear lines between the Government’s role and where it stops, which for Corbyn seems to be nowhere. Her final comment that Corbyn had put ‘Politics before people’ totally summed up Corbyn’s miserable afternoon. Today he could have been forgiven for a quieter tone he has used in the past, bizarrely he went for cheap politics first. It failed badly.

MOON OF LIBERTY VERDICT

Theresa May 4 Jeremy Corbyn 0

A PM on top of the facts, looking Prime Ministerial and showing a full understanding of the realities, while in contrast a Leader of the Opposition lacking knowledge of basic principals, May’s most comfortable win since she became PM.

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Moon Politics – PMQ’s – Silence of the strike

Politics

Prime Minister’s Questions – At The House of Commons, The Palace of Westminster (10th Feb 2016 at 12:00 pm)

Silence of the strike

Today at Prime Minister’s Questions, surely the Junior doctors strike would be a key factor? Surely? Well no. David Cameron began with a tribute to the late Labour MP who did this week Harry Harpham. Mims Davies (Con MP for Eastleigh) opened with a question about right to buy, probably having no idea that this would merely be a warm up for the main part of the session, because Jeremy Corbyn was going to raise junior doctors, wasn’t he?

It was even in the badge. As Jeremy stood up visibly wearing a ‘love unions’ badge. He too paid tribute to Harry Harpham, with a nice aside about his support for the steel industry and he hoped ‘The Prime Minister would reflect on this.’ Fair enough and now onto Junior Doctors yes? Loving those unions behind the strike yes? Er, No.

As on the day of the last strike Corbyn raised housing. Maybe he would split the questions and raise Junior Doctors later? We shall see. But for now, he had an email about housing not doctors, the email was from ‘Rosie’ to howls of laughter with Labour Chief Whip Rosie Winterton sat not far away. Apparently it was not from that Rosie. Rosie wanted to know that the PM was going to do to help her with housing.

The PM suggested when you get a letter from the chief whip it is usually not good news. The more general the question the more ineffective it is, allowing Cameron to roam through his general housing policy. Reducing taxes, right to but, shared housing schemes and of course, suggesting they were doing more than Labour ever did. Too easy a start for Cameron. Maybe changing tack to junior doctors might improve Corbyn’s chances.

Corbyn did not do that. Instead he argued home ownership was down under the Tories, he also moved to attack changes to housing benefits. Cameron responded under Labour one council house had been built for every 170 sold off, under him, due to an amendment from Zac Goldsmith, name checking the Tory London Mayoral candidate, it would be no more than one in two in this parliament. Corbyn responded it is currently one in eight under this Government, which well, is still rather better than one in 170. Ouch. Corbyn walks into a trap of his own making again.

Cameron than began to reference ‘Rosie’ who would be paying lower tax and lower rents thanks to this Government. Rosie would have a strong economy under this Govenrment which she won’t under Labour. he attacked Labour’s housing subsidy ideas pointing out ‘every penny on housing subsidy is a penny you can’t spend on building houses.’ He also trotted out the old line of the Tories building more council houses in five years than Labour did in 13, ‘Where was he (Corbyn) when that was going on?.’ My guess, probably on a march somewhere.

Corbyn then moved onto Junior Doctor’s, just kidding, he moved onto to conditions for private renters suggesting a third of homes where in poor condition and also suggested homelessness was up as a result. Cameron replied homelessness was ‘at half it’s peak now than it was under Labour.’ No, I’m not sure what that means either. Even so Cameron got a final flourish in about how you need a strong economy to build more houses, that includes welfare reform, which Labour are against. Despite Corbyn actually scoring a point or two, his questions were too general allowing Cameron to breeze through the exchange to another victory, with silence from Corbyn on Junior Doctors not looking particularly good either.

Elsewhere Angus Robertson the SNP Commons leader accused Cameron of short changing Scotland by £3 million, Cameron replied stating he had good discussions with SNP leader and Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, and with oil prices collapsing, independence would short change Scotland far more. Robert Jenrick (Con MP for Newark) paid tribute to ‘Nadia’ who had fought and escaped the evil of Islamic State and was in attendance in the gallery and Victoria Atkins (Con MP for Louth & Horncastle) in an impressive sixty seconds of precise and intelligently worded oratory, attacked a ‘UN group nobody had ever heard of.’ for their apparent support of Julian Assange reminding us he is wanted on charges of rape.

There was also time for more fun on Labour’s Trident row with Nigel Adams (Con MP for Selby & Ainsty) suggesting Labour would have ‘Trident as Obsolete as a spitfire’ referring to shadow defence secretary Emily Thornberry’s comments. The PM quoted Madeleine Moon’s (Lab MP for Bridgend) twitter response to the PLP (Parliamentary Labour Party) meeting ‘Oh dear, Oh dear, OMG, Oh dear, Oh dear, need to go and rest in a darkened room.’ As for Labour MP’s, they on mass raised Junior Doctors, oh no, they didn’t actually. Not a single mention. With friends who love unions like these, the union behind this strike does not need enemies.

MOON OF LIBERTY VERDICT – David Cameron 4 – Jeremy Corbyn 2 

Jeremy Corbyn made odd good points this week, but Cameron was always in command and always had an answer, even if at times it was just, you would be worse, it was still more than good enough.