Author Archives: Stephen Tall

Another week, more focus by Nick Clegg on domestic bread ‘n’ butter issues during his exchange with the Prime Minister at the weekly PMQs: this time taking Gordon Brown to task for the poor conditions of the British armed forces’ living conditions.

The spectres of the last week’s sleaze allegations – Labour’s Peter Hain and the Tories’ Derek Conway – were both absent from the exchanges between Mr Brown and David Cameron. The encounter seemed a score-draw to me: while Gordon lacked finesse, Dave lacked gravitas.

Nick continues to do well: focused questions, punchily delivered. At the moment he’s still sticking to his script, which is far enough while he finds his feet and gets the measure of the occasion. It also works better for media soundbites. But it would be good to see him respond directly in his second follow-up question to Mr Brown’s habitual put-downs of ‘the Liberal party’, and our economic policies – the Government’s mishandling of Northern Rock (and Vince’s assured credibility) gives him just that opportunity.

Anyway, here’s the exchange in full, as recorded by Hansard. If you like, you can watch PMQs in full here.

Both Nick Clegg and David Cameron tackled Gordon Brown on the Northern Rock crisis at Prime Minister’s Questions.

The Tory leader got in a good line against the PM’s protestations that putting the bank into administration would lead to a fire sale of the assets: “Does he not understand that administration and liquidation are different things? Let me put it this way. Administration is what the Government are in at the moment; liquidation is what is going to happen by the British people at the next election.” But the Tories’ taunts are blunted by the fact that their policy on Northern Rock has changed almost as often as the Government’s – a point the PM plugged away at to good effect.

Nick borrowed one of Vince’s bon mots when it was his turn to put Gordon on the spot, asking why Labour was nationalising the risks and privatising the profits in its proposed rescue package. In his follow-up, Nick accused the Prime Minister of “running scared of the Conservatives” by ruling out nationalisation. He’s right, of course, but the line delighted Tories rather too much. Perhaps better to have stuck to the argument that the PM’s fear of losing his reputation for prudence is costing the taxpayer dear.

Anyway, here’s the exchange in full, as recorded by Hansard: