Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Brown's incomprehension at PMQs

Just finished watching Prime Minister's Questions. David Cameron asked a series of questions about resigning ministers and pointed out that lack of direction of the government. Gordon Brown countered by accusing the Conservatives of not having any policies, and Cameron's comeback was that if we are so bad then why don't you call an election. It was Brown's fixation with policy that was interesting, however. He acted as if matters of leadership and vision were irrelevant to a government and that all is required is that the policy is sound. Of course this is nonsense. Great policy is, well, great but if you cannot command confidence in it then it will never be effectively delivered. People have to get behind even the best plans, and that means they have to have some belief in a government that proposes them. The question is does Brown believe that policy can stand on its own, without the tedious business of actually connecting with people as well or was he just taking that line to get himself out of the hole the government is in? Unfortunately, past experience leads you to option 1, that Brown believes that his brilliant plans can speak for themselves. You would have thought that with Labour knocking 20 in the polls he might have realised the problems with that view.

Nick Clegg actually had the best line in PMQs, 'Labour is finished'. So much for talk of a Lib-Lab pact.

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