Since this coalition government has been running the affairs of Great Britain, Prime Ministers Question time (PMQs) scheduled for most Wednesdays has turned into a theatrical fiasco.
Yesterday was no exception to the rule. With the Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative party making a total mockery of the etiquette and rules of such proceedings.
Apart from calling his fellow parliamentarians “dear” and then asking a female member of the house to “calm down dear”, Cameron then went on to further discredit himself by claiming that a former Labour member of Parliament (Howard Stoate) had in fact been beaten at the last election by the Conservatives. This of course was totally incorrect as Mr Stoate had retired from being a member of Parliament.
Misleading the House is of course against all the rules and despite the fact that members of the Commons tried to correct the Prime Minister he was quite happy to go off on his outrageous tangent which thankfully in the light of the new day has backfired magnificently on him, his rubbish government and the tattered remains of his reputation.
All that coupled with a thoroughly miserable looking deputy prime minister and leader of the Liberal Democrat party, Nick Clegg, looking lost and bewildered at the Prime Minister’s side.
Hansard (Prepared: 22:29 on 27th April 2011)
Edward Miliband: …. The Department of Health figures are these: waiting times are 20% up for those waiting more than 18 weeks, and A and E waits are at a record level compared to six years ago. One of the reasons why waiting times have gone up is that the right hon. Gentleman is diverting billions of pounds from patient care into this costly reorganisation. Let me make this suggestion: just for once, why does he not listen to the doctors, the patients and the nurses and scrap his reorganisation?
The Prime Minister: The right hon. Gentleman asks me to listen to doctors, so here is one doctor I am definitely going to listen to. I hope Opposition Members will remember Howard Stoate, who was the Member of Parliament for Dartford. He is no longer an MP because he lost the election—because of the Conservative candidate, I am afraid. He is now a GP—[Interruption.] Calm down, dear. Listen to the doctor. Howard Stoate, GP, says:
“My… discussions with fellow GPs… reveal overwhelming enthusiasm for the”—
[Interruption.] I said calm down. Calm down, dear—and I will say it to the shadow Chancellor, if he likes. [Interruption.]
This is incorrect, the facts: Labour MP Howard Stoate announced on 28 July 2009 that he would stand down, he did not loose his parliamentary seat.
Mr Speaker: Order. Let us briefly have the answer and move on to Back Benchers, whose rights I am interested in protecting. I want a brief answer from the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister: This is a very brief quote from a Labour MP who is now a GP. He said:
“My… discussions with fellow GPs… reveal overwhelming enthusiasm for the chance to help shape services for the patients they see daily”.
That is what Labour MPs, now acting as GPs, think of the reforms. That is what is happening.
Ed Balls (Morley and Outwood) (Lab/Co-op): Apologise to her!
The Prime Minister: I am not going to apologise; you do need to calm down. [Interruption.]
Mr Speaker: Order. There is far too much noise in the Chamber. [Interruption.] Order. It makes a very bad impression on the public as a whole, and others are waiting to contribute. I think the Prime Minister has finished.
