The stalking spectre of black-hearted deceit should have hung heavily over this week's prime minister's questions. Instead, Gordon Brown's fumble brought the House down.By Alex Stevenson
All the ingredients were there. In the build-up we'd seen David Cameron claim there was a "thread of dishonesty" running through the government. Then Peter Mandelson came out fighting this morning, accusing George Osborne of a "deliberate untruth". This PMQs was always going to be about one thing - who can be believed on public spending.
That's where the statistics come in. Having slain the capital spending dragon last week, Brown-killer Cameron moved on to bigger, brighter things - total spending.
We were just getting started when the disaster struck. Brown, unthinking perhaps, boasted of a "zero per cent rise in 2013".
For the briefest of moments the entire Commons froze. In cartoon-mode Wile E. Coyote Brown looks at the camera, lips trembling and eyes bulging, as he realises he's just walked off a cliff. He pedals against thin air. He flaps his arms desperately. But then it's too late, the zero per cent rise has condemned his PMQs to ignominy, and he plunges away into the ether.
It didn't quite happen like that, of course. But the stunned, embarrassed faces of the Labour backbenchers as the Tories yelled and jeered said it all. "I think that answer gets zero per cent," Cameron observed, to predictable laughter.
It was all over before it had even started, but they pressed on nonetheless. Inevitably the issue became one of Brown's character. "Why can't he admit to the truth?" Cameron asked. Later he referred to the prime minister's "deceit". He wanted to know whether Brown could be "straight with the British public".
Nick Clegg added his own voice to proceedings, saying the "bogus debate" about public spending meant very little. How could he possibly trump the Brown-Cameron hate-fest? By hating them both himself! They were "both deliberately choosing to trade insults, so they can both deliberately avoid telling the truth", he said. If only someone would pay Clegg the courtesy of insulting him he might feel a little better.
Brown's response to all this was a muted disgust, a wobbling against "cheap jibes". He sought to stick to the politics. "I've already said, capital expenditure will riiiise," he quavered desperately. There were some decent points scored as he painted the Tories as the "party of unemployment". But the only real party being had in the Commons this lunchtime was on the benches behind Cameron.
It was "one of the most feeble performances" Brown had ever given, the Tory leader said. He was not in complete command - his claim that the Tory ten per cent cuts line was "not doing any damage to us" suggested he was a little rattled by that line of attack - but the vulnerabilities probingly sought by Brown were blown away by another classic prime ministerial gaffe.
Confronted with a serious, escalating row over dishonesty at the top of government, the prime minister turned this week's clash into yet another childish embarrassment. What was that puff of smoke, down there in the canyon of failed prime ministers? Ah yes, it was Coyote Brown, meeting reality with a bump.
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The problems don`t just lie with Gordon Brown.
I am embarrassed by the way they all act at P.MS question time, they are all like a bunch of school bully boys all shouting and jeering at one another.
It`s time that they all got their acts together and started getting this country working again instead of the lower workers as they call us loosing our homes and jobs while they slag each other off.
They should not be the ones voting to clean up parliament, why does it need a vote it should be done as the right thing after all their thieving.We have no laws to speak off the only crime you are going to get time for is stealing money, kill somebody and your more likely to get community service, this country is a joke.
We should learn from other countries how to punish criminals because here they seem to get rewarded, and they wonder why their hairbrained ideas don`t work, it is common sense we need not some fool with pie in the sky ideas. so stop slagging each other off and get to work, keeping us in decent jobs instead of allowing foreigners to buy up then ship abroad all the Brittish companies.
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Sounds to me like Brown would make a better living as a comedian than a PM - even Monster Raving Loony could run the country better than him.
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That bast**d Brown will say anything to stay in power. He's a nutter.
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At the end of the day I wouldn't believe a word Cameron says, he is utterly driven by the thought of power and woe betide the majority of the electorate when he gets in. Cameron has been well schooled by his coaches and of course he doesn't have to do much during the week except practice his attacks on the prime minister. He doesn't have the economy to look after or affairs of state to accomplish, he will be a total disaster the makings of the PR culture!
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By the way when is Cameron going to be straight with the british electorate over his part in black wednesday along with his other meddling with the lamentable Lamont's time as chancellor, when we saw britains economy slump to one of a true banana republic?
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Gordon Brown is not our PM? We are currently ruled by and unelected member of the house of Lords Sir Peter (Meddler) Mandelson
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I think the whole mess is frightening, Brown is a closet dictator who passes laws that takes away our civil liberties, whilst the Tories have no interest whatsoever in the welfare of the majority of the citizens of this country. Both parties policies will cost money, Browns through borrowing and the Conservatives will increase the number of people needing benefits because they have thrown so many onto the s@#$% heap of unemployment and homelessness. Save us from the lot of them.
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And to think that we are all so proud of our democratic system that we are prepared to force other countries to adopt it by going to war.
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Surely Brown has suffered no personal abuse at the hands of Cameron? He is merely having his policy of deceiving the electorate being headlined!
One should also remember that the terrible financial state we find ourselves in was contributed to by Brown for years as Chancellor before he became PM.
Trevor66
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First BLIAR and now Brown , you can always tell when labour are lying to the British public ,their lips move . On the Iraq war ,on immigration ,remember Blunkett telling evryone that only about 13000 eastern europeans would be taking up the EU ruling about working over here . 2 Million and counting later ,and anybody who voices concern gets branded a racist .We were promised a referendum on Europe by labour before the last election , is anyone suprised that was another whopper . The only party that tells the truth about immigration is the British National Party ,so what do our govnt do , listen and address peoples fears , no of course not ,they threaten the BNP with court action and try to get them banned on Equality rules . Equality , thats a joke ,any members of the BNP are not allowed to join the police , teaching profession and many other organisations , just because they belong to a perfectly legal political party . Brown says they have no place in British politics ,and then this week steals a BNP policy about local housing for local people ,reminds me of his British jobs fpr British workers slogan when he knew fully well that useless EU rulings meant that was yet another false promise . Brown wouldnt know the truth if it slapped him in the face ,so here,s a truth for you Brown . You have ruined a once great nation ,for once in your miserable life do the decent thing , stand down and call an election ,even your own party don,t want you but havnt got the guts to say so as they know they will all be out at the next election . Youve never received a vote in England so why do you think anyone here is interested in your lame , dead policies ,Go now
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