Each week, the Pagefield panel give their take on PMQs. Here are this week's thoughts.
It is tempting to simply copy and paste my analysis of last week’s PMQs below, such was the extent of the repetition. Miliband went on Pfizer, Cameron criticised the line of questioning (focusing instead on the new jobs figures), assured the nation he had their best interests at heart, and questioned Miliband’s motives by revealing he had rejected a meeting in favour of campaigning.
And that, unfortunately, was about it. Miliband continues to pursue the angle of a public interest test, but the Prime Minister shows no sign of cracking, and is facing precious little pressure from other quarters.
With poll leads slipping or evaporating, criticism of the party and their campaigning methods mounting, and the Tories increasingly buoyant, Miliband needed a performance to rouse the troops and calm the nerves. Instead he delivered a technocratic argument that barely interests the Westminster bubble, let alone those outside it.
When new advisor David Axelrod sits down to have lunch with the entire Shadow Cabinet this afternoon, he will struggle to find many smiling faces around the table. He, and the rest of Labour’s election team, will need better performances from their leader soon if they are to face 2015 with any positivity.
David Radestock - Consultant
In a bawdy session involving raucous cheers and shallow praise, the fall in unemployment became the peg for the PM to hang his hat upon this week – especially when responding to Ed Miliband’s heated criticism of the Pfizer/Astra Zeneca takeover bid.
Like a dog with a bone, Miliband criticised the PM’s involvement in the process, largely repeating the same point about what assurances were being given. Problem is, the PM is the one getting ‘stuck in’ to the process whereas, as he delighted in pointing out, Miliband had declined to attend a meeting with Pfizer because he was too busy campaigning. In the PM’s words, Miliband "quite literally put party before national interest" – instantly dismissing the credibility of the protestations.
Not to be put off by this sharp, yet accurate put down, Miliband deployed his best attack, stating that last time Cameron produced assurances, the Royal Mail was sold off at a knock-down price, and the chancellor's best man made a killing – but the argument fizzled out like a cut-price aspirin. It came too late and the PM was able to assert the public benefit of his efforts over and above Miliband’s squabbling cries. Shame Miliband left such a good point to so late; it would have changed the face of the argument significantly and no amount of finger waving or calling the PM ‘this guy’ could tarnish Cameron’s approach to put national interest first.
Ben Thiele-Long – Consultant
In Ed Miliband’s defence, it is much easier to get ‘stuck in’ on a potential merger that may affect the country (arguably much less than the Leader of the Opposition would have you believe) when you are actually Prime Minister. And frankly, what actually is there to do as Leader of the Opposition other than ‘play politics’? As such, we essentially had six of the exact same questions as last week, followed by six of the exact same answers. In case you weren’t definitely sure, the Prime Minister is getting ‘stuck in’.
It felt a little incongruous for Miliband to keep pushing the Astra Zeneca line – especially in the wake of his pivot to the NHS earlier this week. It was clear from the outset that the Prime Minister wasn’t going to give any more ‘assurances’ than he has already, and so the question remains: why didn’t Miliband move on and talk about something else?
That said, talking about big business is something that does make the Prime Minister somewhat uncomfortable and, following more positive economic news this morning in terms of growth forecasts and employment figures, it is Labour’s only remaining economic weapon – that Cameron cares only about the interests of his corporate ‘friends’. With the opinion polls beginning to look a little ominous for Team Miliband we should expect to see Labour continue to bulk out their ‘markets should work for people’ agenda. But, as is persistently the case with Labour at the moment, there is a glaring lack of consistency. Frankly, Cameron and the Tories would very happily take another 20 of these exchanges between now and May 2015.
Sam Oakley – Executive
You can find a weekly summary of PMQs and other blog entries on the Pagefield website.