I’ve been lucky to get a PMQ - but what to ask?
I’VE been lucky and have come up as number 4 in Prime Minister’s questions this week. In fact, I’ve been very lucky, because I had a PMQ two weeks ago as well. Names for PMQs are drawn out of a hat. In 19 years as an MP I’ve only come up a handful of times, so twice in one month is quite a thing. So, what should I ask? Some would go for the obvious choice, the ‘why are you so bad’ type of question, listing all the failings of the Tory government, on the economy, poverty, benefits and pensions. (Not health policy though. That mess belongs to the Labour government in Cardiff ). But choosing such a question would be a naïve mistake.
Question: Why are you so awful?
Answer: We’re not awful. Look at all these wonderful things we are doing.
Result: No score draw. Effect: All feel good about themselves, but otherwise nil.
Single questions don’t change government – and hardly ever bring governments down.
An exception, in the news again, is the Profumo affair in the 1960s.
Briefly, Mr Profumo the Minister for War was ‘seeing’ what used to be called a ‘good time girl’. At the same time, she was also seeing a Russian spy. Mr Profumo was ripe for blackmail.
In Parliament he was asked, what his relationship was with Miss Keeler. He said ‘none’.
The newspapers pounced with photographs.
He resigned for telling a lie to Parliament. The government fell – though it took another year.
Would the government have fallen without the question? Yes – eventually. Did the question help then over the cliff? Yes – certainly. But such a single killer question is very rare.
And asking Mr Johnson about his love life would only raise a snigger and saying that he’s a liar a yawn.
So what to ask?
Last time I asked Boris Johnson a broad question, challenging him to come up with a vision for the future. He came out with the same old guff as ever. He does like a headline, even one that’s worn thin.
But he’s not too good on detail. He pays other people to do the boring detailed stuff.
Sadly for him, prime ministers have to do both general flag waving and the detailed understanding of people’s real problems.
So, this time it will be on the detail. But of what – I haven’t decided.