A big cheer, much of it ironic from the Tory and Labour benches, rang around a packed House of Commons as the latest leader of the Liberal Democrats rose to his feet for his first PMQs.
Nick Clegg did the right thing: He kept it simple. No attempt to be clever, no attempted jokes, his job was to survive with his credibilty intact.
He chose not to sit at the end of the Lib Dem front bench, as party leaders have in the past. Instead, he sat between his Shadow Chancellor and Deputy Leader (Vince Cable) on one side, and the man he narrowly defeated in last month's leadership contest (Chris Huhne) on the other.
David Cameron usually does the same, sitting between Shadow Chancellor George Osborne and David Davis, the man he defeated to become leader, and he did so today..
The first thing the Conservative Leader did was to welcome Nick Clegg, saying he was looking forward "to facing him" at PMQs. Of course, the Lib Dem leader sits on the same side of the house as Mr. Cameron, FACING the Prime Minister: Mr. Cameron is clearly already there in his mind, at the Prime Minister's place at the Dispatch Box, running the country, basking in his election victory!!
When Gordon Brown welcomed the new Lib Dem leader, he said he looked forward to working with him.
"As I have said in our private conversations" there are many areas for common ground, according to Mr. Brown.
Cue pantomime pointing from David Cameron and his MPs.
"Private conversations"? What were they, they wanted to know, whatever could they be talking about? Coalition government? Electoral deals? The fortunes of Raith Rovers?
Afterwards, Lib Dem MPs and party strategists declared themselves satisfied with their new leader's debut performance, even though it was thoroughly unmemorable. Maybe next week he'll feel confident enough to open up a little, though he's have to really pull a rabbit out of the hat to match Vince Cable's immortal description of Gordon Brown as transforned form Joseph Stalin to Mr Bean!
My last post contained an error. Steve Hilton did not quit any job under a cloud - it was Andy Coulson that I meant.
Apologies to Mr. Hilton who has a blameless reputation as far as I know.
Posted by: Victor, NW Kent 14 Jan 2008 14:19:24
Carol-Ann
Gordon Brown has a new chief political advisor, a Stephen Carter. Mr Carter was the chief executive of NTL when it went bust and he, and other directors, have been the subject of shareholder actions in the USA, one of which was settled by their insurers for $5-million and change.
In the court papers one of his colleagues quotes Carter on the subject of NTL shareholders " What I tell them is nine-tenths bull and one tenth selected facts".
So when you discuss leaders' advisors you should take note of the calibre of this man before ranting about Hilton and Coulson. Both Hilton and Carter quit under a cloud but Hilton is not subject to arrest if he visits the USA.
You may see Cameron's softer voice during his interview simply as not having to shout over the noise orchestrated by Ian Austin whenever he stands to speak. Austin is also one of Brown's advisors, his Parliamentary Private Secretary. He has been publicly warned by the Speaker on several occasions for his behaviour.
As the Bible says "First cast the beam from your own eye".
Posted by: Victor, NW Kent 14 Jan 2008 11:49:28
I noticed Cammers doing a Maggie, this morning, during his BBC interview.
The softer voice with the kinder tone.
Perhaps Steve Hilton has got the message that Cammers' Flashman the bully routine is beginning to lose him points in the polls.
If a person cannot get where he wants to go on his own merits and relies so much on PR people, he doesn't deserve to be a leader.
Surely the point of being a leader is that you have the knowledge, the characteristics, the intelligence and the skills to lead a political party?
It is one thing to listen to advice but when all you say and do is on the advice of PR people then you really have lost touch with the electorate.
What the people want is honesty. It made a huge difference to Hilary Clinton when she let her mask slip and showed some genuine, heartfelt emotion.
Those who live by the sword, die by the sword and so it will be with Dave.
I can't see him surviving to the next election, never mind winning it.
Posted by: carol-ann livepool 13 Jan 2008 15:13:55
David Cameron is the Leader of the Opposition and no one’s mouthpiece, even amongst his highly sophisticated shadow cabinet. A Leader of a political party is really his own boss. Steve who is he?
Posted by: Peter Chuah, Birmingham 11 Jan 2008 16:42:47
Posted by: Peter Chuah, Birmingham 11 Jan 2008 14:10:48 Are you being accurate and objective, really? Are you a Liberal Party supporter then? Who is ‘acting’ (unless you are speaking for yourself), except they are being actually being serious with their convictions? Everyone a so called “light weight”, except they conform your biased unsustained views? Nick Clegg might be supposedly to be handsome, attractive to females and perhaps to gays. I don’t know it either way on this regard though.
To answer your question I am not a Liberal Party Supporter and as for my 'unsustained' views on Cammers they were answered in a recent documentary, did you watch it?
It would appear a PR man called Steve Hilton is pulling Cammers strings. It was Mr Hilton who devised the much-derided "hug a hoodie" and was behind the decision last week of Mr Cameron to boycott the CBI conference in favour of a photo-opportunity in Iraq.
Mr Hilton is one of the few advisers permitted to interrupt and contradict Mr Cameron at meetings with shadow ministers. One source said: "Steve just interrupts Cameron and says: 'Shut up Dave, you don't know what you are talking about'. Cameron takes it from him because he trusts him so much."
One senior Tory front-bencher said: "Steve Hilton has become the shadow leader of the Opposition.
There is a new catchphrase on the front bench if we have an idea. We say: 'What will Steve think?' Another senior Tory said: "There is not a word that comes out of David Cameron's mouth that has not been scripted first by Steve Hilton.
It's fine while we are seen to be ahead in the polls but I think the knives will come out if the polls go south. "Hilton is clever and industrious and Cameron's greatest potential asset, but also his biggest liability if the leader ceases listening to anyone else."
Another senior and respected Tory said there was growing disquiet even beyond the front bench about Mr Hilton, who is so secretive his name does not appear on the Conservative Party website. "If the revolution comes it will not be over policy; it will be personnel," he said.
"People are talking. They are talking about Steve Hilton. They are unhappy. Cameron should take note before it gets out of hand."
So Peter it would appear Cammers is Steve Hilton’s mouthpiece and it was interesting to hear him whooping with delight and looking rather embarrassed as he was filmed during Cammers ‘unscripted’ speech as he prefers to lurk in the shadows.
Wonder if that was because Steve scripted it?
As for Clegg being attractive I could not possibly comment as the issue doesn’t really interest me that much, although you are entitled to your opinion.
Posted by: The Morning Mail 11 Jan 2008 15:57:45
Posted by: The Morning Mail 11 Jan 2008 12:13:46: “At least Clegg appears to be genuine and intelligent where Cammers (comments added: what?) is lightweight and full of spin and bluster. An accomplished actor but a political fraud.”
Are you being accurate and objective, really? Are you a Liberal Party supporter then? Who is ‘acting’ (unless you are speaking for yourself), except they are being actually being serious with their convictions? Everyone a so called “light weight”, except they conform your biased unsustained views? Nick Clegg might be supposedly to be handsome, attractive to females and perhaps to gays. I don’t know it either way on this regard though.
Posted by: Peter Chuah, Birmingham 11 Jan 2008 14:10:48
Nick Clegg might be supposedly 'young' I don’t know. Sorry in fact he appears NOT to be inspirational, cutting edge, charismatic, as well as being lacking in vision, ideas and boring.
Peter, at least Clegg appears to be genuine and intelligent where Cammers is lightweight and full of spin and bluster.
An accomplished actot but a political fraud.
Posted by: The Morning Mail 11 Jan 2008 12:13:46
I agree with Effie, Cammers scattergun approach is as ineffectual as Cammers is lightweight.
I like Clegg, and I'm sure he will be most popular at garnering much support from the NuCons who are only leading by a mere 5% in the latest poll.
Posted by: The Morning Mail 11 Jan 2008 12:09:04
Nick Clegg might be supposedly 'young' I don’t know. Sorry in fact he appears NOT to be inspirational, cutting edge, charismatic, as well as being lacking in vision, ideas and boring.
Posted by: Peter Chuah, Birmingham 11 Jan 2008 11:32:26
Victor,
I take your point, but you can't just accuse GB of doing that. Cammers has not been averse to what I call 'severed statements' where only part of a statement is used in a quote because the full sentence is not as good!
ALL politicians do that as do students in essays and debates.
Posted by: carol-ann livepool 11 Jan 2008 01:43:16
All is well folks, Effie beleives that Mr Brown is getting better at this PMq's thing!
Posted by: Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 10 Jan 2008 18:35:16
well if we are talking porkies, I'm sure GB said that Liverpool had the most visitors to Museums in the country. Perhaps he forgot London!!
Posted by: Adrian, Lancashire 10 Jan 2008 16:18:20
I would not agree that Brown lost his cool yesterday.
What he did was answer Cameron with the same arrogant, contemptful condescending manner that Cameron had asked him the questions in the first place.
I also think he is getting better, Cameron cannot stop this scattergun approach as I have said on another thread he is not landing the punches.
Cameron is going to find himself in more trouble as today he has written to the PM regarding Brown's opinion in the Observer.
I have a copy of that here in front of me and Cameron will be hard put to make any Capital out of it, as it could be read likened to a Legal Document.
He will waste at least two of his questions if he pursue's this line questioning on something that is not worth it. Bron will be ready and waiting for him.
But then what else has this empty vacuous man Cameron got to do with his time all day except rehearse in front of mirrors and write letters?
Posted by: Effie 10 Jan 2008 16:08:55
On the matter of being economical with the truth Cammers told a whopping porky during PMQ’s.
He accused GB of being a member of CND as Shadow Chancellor. He wasn’t and Cammers has yet again been found wanting by not being in command of his Brief.
Posted by: The Morning Mail 10 Jan 2008 15:30:10
Victor,
Happy New Year, and I have to agree with the content of your first sentence, and I imagine that PMQ's is not something that Gordon looks forward to each week. It is not made any easier when you consider that his predecessor was made for such an event, but I do feel that the P.M. is getting more confident, and his 'Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes' comment, yesterday, will certainly stand him in good stead should he ever want to become a Town Crier when he leaves office!
Posted by: Merv. Beszant, Dubai 10 Jan 2008 15:28:19
Carol-Ann
Yesterday I thought that it was Brown who became conspicuously angry and even his rehearsed quip about Cameron's rehearsals came over as weak and clearly premeditated. Cameron's task would be easier if Labour backbenchers lead by Brown's PPS,Ian Austin, did not set up a barrage of noise when he rises to speak. Without that he would not need to raise his voice and the fault lies with Austin and the partisan Speaker.
As usual Brown lied about something quite trivial. In response to Clegg's perfectly proper questions he said that the LibDems had opposed the introduction of the Winter Fuel Allowance. In reality Paul Holmes [October 2002] asked the Chancellor [Brown] to extend the allowance to disabled people of whatever age - it actually appears in the LibDem manifesto for the 2001 elections. What the LibDems opposed was the limits that Brown placed on the allowance, not the allowance itself.
It is Brown's habit now to blame various opposition members or parties for government problems or failures. He does this at least once every week without fail.
Posted by: Victor, NW Kent 10 Jan 2008 11:54:30
Moving two seats to the ‘doughnut’ position immediately returned the perception to me that he was just another front bench Liberal; change for the sake of change never works, will he have the courage to admit the error of his ways and return to that forever Liberal hot seat on the end of their front bench?
Nick Clegg will always be an also ran unless God forbid we are delivered of a hung Parliament; minority views promoted as policy to secure additional votes to achieve a majority ‘party’ status; mostly permitting the larger part of a coalition to blame their numerically smaller partner.
Although he is a slightly better orator then Menzies, he will never cut the mustard; as for his conversations with the Prime Minister via that open door which Vince Cable designated the trap door, all party leaders talk in the background but choose to keep such happenings and conversations in camera.
Posted by: Peter, Fife 10 Jan 2008 10:29:16
Nick Clegg did a good job.
Talked about fuel poverty: something that is the talk of 'the post-office queue'
Something that the LibDems are really good at, is what I call 'street lamp' issues. I think his topic would have resonated with many people.
He kept it simple and didn't show any signs of nervousness, which I thought he did in his acceptance speech.
Cammers, it is said, wanted to do a deal with him, but, typically, being the turncoat he is, he seems to have moved his position on working with the LibDems.
Cammers gave hints that his plan is to treat Clegg with mild contempt, now that he has not taken the bait.
Dave has recognised, that Clegg is more of a threat to him at the moment, and although some argue that it is usually former Labour voters that protest by going over to the LibDems, I think this time, the NuCons have the most to lose.
Clegg being another gentleman, like Brown, courteous and good mannered, will further draw attention to Cammers' bullying and disrespectful tone, which is beginning to grate and seem predictable, already.
I actually thought Cammers came across as the boring one yesterday.
I thought Gordon made a good job of putting Cammers in his place and there are signs that Gordon is growing in confidence. So between Brown and Clegg, Cammers will have his work cut out.
Posted by: carol-ann livepool 10 Jan 2008 09:14:13
To-night's PMQ's prog. with Kevin MacGUIRE as an unbiased reporter reminds me that you can take the man out of the bog, but you can't take the bog out of the man.
Posted by: Expat. Cheshire 9 Jan 2008 23:01:51
AAAh! Bless!
The Liberals just don’t seem to grow up do they!
It's like the two big bullies in the playground look around at this little squeak coming from one of the younger boys wanting to strut his stuff! This is met with complete contempt by the two big bullies who brush off any comments & continue as before.
This is the same for me when I see the liberals come on the TV! I just brush off what they say as unimportant.
This may not sound like a nice thing to say but I don’t really feel any need to run the party down because I believe there isn’t much point! The points I have made above are as I see, no harm intended.
I almost wish them luck, if for no reason more than bringing a different mix into what can be an almost predictable parliament session.
What about the new leader!
He might have been separated at birth from Cameron!
What difference will he make?
Maybe just maybe he can be the first in a long line of leaders that it will take for the Liberals to be taken seriously.
Posted by: T. England 9 Jan 2008 21:21:46
I thought Nick Clegg came over quietly, effectively, not confrontational and more to the point he got his message across.
I hope he keeps this up.
I know from life's experience that men of very few words are mainly those that people take most notice of.
He did not have to scream and yell and behave like Cameron, he carried his PMQ's debut out with dignity.
Well done Nick Clegg keep it up!!
Posted by: Effie 9 Jan 2008 19:31:21
Effie,
Happy New Year, and if that's all they have been doing in front of the mirror, then it's not too serious!
Posted by: Merv. Beszant, Dubai 9 Jan 2008 18:04:00
Maybe if Vince took ventriloquist lessons, he would be able to sit Nick on his knee, put his hand under his jacket, and continue with his humerous PMQ's comments!
Posted by: Merv. Beszant, Dubai 9 Jan 2008 15:33:21
Great Idea Merv, he could even take lessons from William Hague, he does a great job and Cameron does even not have to sit on his knee. What's more nobody can see his mouth moving, people only recognise the one liners belong to Hague.
However I think today somebody caught them rehearsing in front of the mirrors.
Posted by: Effie 9 Jan 2008 17:15:46
Oh dear...not exactly earth shattering stuff from Mr Clegg, very low key!
Posted by: Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 9 Jan 2008 16:02:48
Maybe if Vince took ventriloquist lessons, he would be able to sit Nick on his knee, put his hand under his jacket, and continue with his humerous PMQ's comments!
Posted by: Merv. Beszant, Dubai 9 Jan 2008 15:33:21
Its about time the speaker stepped in and did his job by making sure that questions to the Prime Ministers does not mutate into questions for the opposition leader which it is fast doing!
Posted by: The Morning Post 9 Jan 2008 14:48:02
Indeed, I wonder if he will succeed in increasing the house temperature by anything other than "Three Degrees". Although, if said party is satisfied by just his first moments, "When Will I See you Again"?
Posted by: Khalid 9 Jan 2008 14:13:32