PMQs
Richard Cressey
Although usually focus of this blog would be on Brown vs. Cameron, this weeks opening question by Tony Baldry brought up the Prime Ministers comments to the Chilcot Inquiry last month concerning defence budget rises. The forced what will probably dominate the headlines in terms of Browns response. The Prime Minister had to go back on evidence given and this brought raucous jeering from the opposition benches. David Cameron was quick to pounce on this correction and as stated above this is the issue which will undoubtedly dominate the newspaper headlines both in the tabloids and the broadsheets. The first stage of the Leaders back and forth concerned the UNITE/BA dispute and even though Mr. Cameron dramatically announced that Mr. Browns answer was weak, it in fact was a masterful piece of political manoeuvring from a Labour Party leader under attack not only from the Conservative Party but also from UNITE itself.
For the Labour Party to continue to be electable to the winder population it needs to keep a sensible distance from unions such as UNITE, however, in terms of financial survival and political donations UNITE need to be kept onside and happy with policy direction. This may seem a cynical view, but it is the reality and, as Labour leader, Gordon Brown needs to tread carefully around the issue. Mr. Cameron was pushed on to the back foot by the Prime Ministers accusation that he had already assumed a strike would take place, and that work was being done by government officials to bring both parties to the negotiating table. Once again Mr. Cameron was wholly unconvincing on the day and the accusations of political opportunism thrown his way may prove to be damaging in the weeks and months to come. However, the headlines will be consumed by the retraction of evidence given at Chilcot by the Prime Minister. The damage caused by this will overshadow the otherwise robust responses given by Mr. Brown.
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