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Brown braced for PMQs

By politics.co.uk staff Skip related content

Gordon Brown faces an awkward prime minister's questions, in the wake of his U-turn on Territorial Army training cuts.

The prime minister, having initially defended the government's commitment to UK troops despite the Army-proposed cuts, intervened after the threat of a Labour backbench rebellion emerged.

David Cameron had raised the issue in a previous Commons encounter, giving him the opportunity to claim a major victory for the Conservatives.

Another issue likely to be raised in today's PMQs is Sir Christopher Kelly's "root-and-branch" review of expenses, details of which were leaked last night.

Backbench MPs could press Mr Brown to reveal his own position on the issue.

Political news outside Westminster has centred on Europe. Tory officials are livid at the explicit support Labour is giving Tony Blair in his bid for the EU presidency, but are treating the issue cautiously as Mr Cameron tries to construct a coherent strategy should the Czech Republic ratify the Lisbon treaty.

Mr Cameron promised a referendum on the treaty if it had not been ratified by all EU member states, but he has been less definitive on what he would do once the Czech Republic ratifies it.

Despite strongly-worded statements from shadow foreign secretary William Hague, Mr Cameron will be keen to distance himself from the issue.

Instead Mr Cameron has been focusing on his claim that benefits under Labour discourage single mothers from working because of the way the tax system works.

He is also pushing his new policy on second homes for members of the Lords. Tory peers received a letter yesterday from the party leadership asking them to clarify which of their properties is their second home.

"We hope others will follow our lead," he said during a press conference yesterday.

PMQs begins at 12:00 GMT.

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