For weeks PMQs has been stuck in a quagmire. On one hand, you get an onslaught of planted questions about Tory spending cuts from the Labour benches. Then you get Cameron slagging of the Government's spending predictions. And so on. It's all been rather meaningless and there is very little concrete discussion on future policy.
Nick Clegg made a more relevant contribution to this debate in a few short seconds than Tom Brown and Jerry Cameron had made in weeks. He got the obligatory soundbite about the Government going nowhere (this Government only has reverse gear left) in first. Then, in his supplementary question, he pointed out that both Cameron and Brown are ignoring the fact that tough decisions have to be made in the future - the Lib Dems have already come up with ideas like not replacing Trident, taking tax credits away from high earning families and abolishing baby bonds to reduce the deficit and he asked what were the Government going to do about it? Brown tried to swat him down with a partisan retort - which completely missed the point of what Nick was saying. Nick, and the wonderful Vince, have been totally supportive of spending our way out of recession. Sure, they've had a bit to say about the Government's cack handed way of doing it, but, yes, they've said all along we need investment now.
It's a complete no brainer that we'll have to take a long hard look at public spending in the future - and Nick injected some light into a debate that's been so far fuelled with bile and hot air from the others.
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1 comment:
I don't agree. Clegg's performance today was a little better than last week when he asked a bland question on spending and was totally ignored by Brown. Even so, his style today hardly saw any moulds broken. The main difference between Nick and Cameron is that Nick is clearly a reasonable man and does not come across as a thoroughly unpleasant public school bully. Nonetheless he continues to lack gravitas, which might be one reason why despite some good recent policy decisions and a relatively good expenses 'war' our poll ratings have not increased.
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