Hoyle tells Johnson to stop avoiding questions and adds: “I’ll make the decisions [on how PMQs should be run]. Come on”
Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle gave Boris Johnson an embarrassing dressing-down during Prime Minister’s Questions today after Johnson repeatedly dodged providing answers to even the gentlest questioning by Labour leader Keir Starmer.
And when Johnson tried to tell Hoyle what he thought voters watching PMQs wanted. Hoyle interrupted him again, telling him it was Hoyle’s job to decide how the session should be won and to get on with it:
Johnson continued to waffle and evade – there’s a reason it’s called PMQs and not Prime Minister’s Answers – but Hoyle’s decision to highlight Johnson’s nonsense directly has put on record and on video the Tories’ constant tactic to evade any scrutiny in the Commons chamber.
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A successful PMQ for Labour.
The PM was clearly flustered by Starmer’s scrutiny over the numerous U-turns and completely unable to respond. He lurched towards the spectre of Brexit and Corbyn as a crutch, but in the context of the pandemic his attacks were outdated and fell flat. In contrast, the Labour leader clearly came well prepared with a litany of failures to pin on the government, in response to which Johnson could only flail about angrily. Returning after weeks away from the despatch box, it’s clear the Tory PM is only increasingly incapable of handling the persistent attacks on his remarkable lack of competence.
https://labourlist.org/2020/09/pmqs-johnson-flails-wildly-as-outdated-attacks-fall-flat/
Happy Birthday Keir.
And there is this, from a paper not always well disposed to the Labour Party; https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/pmqs-keir-starmer-boris-johnson-exam-algorithm-a4538431.html
It’s hardly a first, what with Cameron introducing the “Wall of Noise,” and the insults coming thick and fast from all three Tory PMs since 2010. It simply shows the quasi Victorian/Gothic nature of Parliament is entirely unsuitable for the 21st century.
The wall of noise was massively successful in 2010 in bullying the weak and cowardly Brown out of challenging their blindingly ridiculous pretence that ‘Labour overspending’ could possibly cause a global finance crash.
When they’re so obviously guilty (again) that that’s their only possible defence – that’s the defence they’re going to use.
The media may be beginning to reconsider the risk to themselves of exposure as Tory propagandists – something they’d never have done when socialism was hammering at the door.
Now that risk appears to have receded they think “Hey, it’s only Starmer – neoliberalism is safe now whoever wins. Time to cover our own arses.”
When cornered Uncle Festa reverts to bullshit and bluster, its an Eton thing
Temporary Embarrassment should sit down with speaker and tory leader and make it crystal clear that this contempt for Parliament and democracy will not be tolerated
He will be called out and then condemned in no uncertain terms
Change the language
PM you are a liar and charlatan
I expect the speaker will be shot at dawn tomorrow for having the temerity to challenge Bojo. Well it would happen in Dim Dom’s alternate universe.
There’s a good chance that may happen in the near future
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/sep/01/no-10-lobby-groups-democracy-policy-exchange
Most of us I’d suggest have known what ‘think tanks’ are really all about since the CPS, Thatcher, Reagan, Hayek and the birth of neoliberalism, so nothing new there.
Giving them charitable status is as indefensible as Eton always having had the same status, but they won’t give it up – we’ll have to take it away.
Difficult to see how anyone purporting to be of the left can read that piece by Monbiot and remain a Starmer supporter though.
I’d like to think I might live to see it but of course I won’t.
It’s enough of a comfort to know that every lie, every abhorrent policy and every power grab brings the revolution closer.