Leaders play another game of ‘whose party is the most racist’ at PMQS
IT WAS a ratty and repetitive PMQS. Given the issues raised each week, it seems we’re stuck in an endless doom-loop. Racism, the threat of Islamist extremism. Both genuine problems facing the country, both brought up today in the House of Commons: neither any closer to resolution.
Indeed the PM and Leader of the Opposition seem to view these not as policy matters but giant inflatable hammers for comically walloping one another. PMQS increasingly consists of the pair pointing at each other across the despatch box and saying, “No, your party is racist.” So it came as no surprise that yesterday’s proceedings were dominated by unearthed remarks made by Frank Hester, the Conservative Party donor, who reportedly said that Diane Abbott made him want “to hate all black women”.
Starmer began by trowelling praise on to Theresa May, who’d just announced her retirement from politics. Starmer lauded her “real sense of duty” and “unwavering commitment”. Then out came the knife. “Is the Prime Minister proud,” snarled the Leader of the Opposition, smacking his lips, “to be bankrolled by someone using racist and misogynist language?” It was quite the segue.
The Prime Minister doesn’t respond well to criticism at the best of times but today he sulked, glaring sulphurously down at his notes with the air of a child on the naughty step. He condemned Hester’s remarks but described them as “alleged”, which drew squawks of outrage from the Labour benches.
We also know that Sir Keir Starmer can be smugger than a cat who’s not just got the cream but found itself elected chairman of the board of United Dairies with access-all-areas and a healthy pension. But this afternoon he was particularly unbearable. His points barely pretend to be questions any more. Amid all this the proceedings managed to be both pointless and boring. Neither leader is actually suited to the contest. It was like watching a particularly undignified brawl conducted by members of the Institute of Chartered Surveyors.
Stephen Flynn of the SNP also majored on the Tory donor’s remarks and managed to inflict more damage with his two questions than Starmer had managed with six. The ghost of a wince appeared on Mr Sunak’s face as his second clobbering of the day began. Throughout, the subject of the row bobbed up and down like a dog in a car’s rear window in hopes of catching the Speaker’s eye. Whipless herself nowadays – ironically for downplaying another form of racism, anti-semitism – Diane Abbott almost sustained whiplash through these efforts. Inevitably, it emerged that Labour had accepted a £2.5 million donation from an eco-zealot who’d been recorded likening Hamas to “freedom fighters”. Another racism outrage to warm the cockles. Now we know what next week’s PMQS will be about. Oh goodie.