View all newsletters
Sign up to our newsletters

Support 110 years of independent journalism.

  1. Politics
9 February 2011

PMQs review: on-form Miliband gets the better of Cameron

The “son of Brown” enjoys a joke at his old boss’s expense.

By George Eaton

As I predicted, the Cameron-Miliband non-aggression pact lasted barely a week. Today’s PMQs was a brutal affair. Tony Blair memorably declared, “I bear the scars on my back after two years in government.” David Cameron bears them after just nine months. As expected, Ed Miliband led on “the big society”, which, to put it mildly, hasn’t enjoyed a good press this week. Where Labour once ridiculed the concept, it now presents it as a worthy project that the cuts will strangle at birth.

Cameron may have been right to point out that almost every member of the Commons “backs what we’re talking about” but few seemed impressed by his defence. As the Labour leader quoted critic after critic from the voluntary sector, the PM was forced to resort to his stock attack lines. He attacked Miliband for “jumping on every bandwagon” and damned Ed Balls as a “deficit denier”.

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

The Tory leader raised some cheers when he announced that the “big society bank” would receive £200m from Britain’s banks, but this will do little to reassure a sector that faces cuts of £1.1bn next year. A relaxed Miliband needed only to cite Dame Elisabeth Hoodless, the head of Community Service Volunteers, who warns that the cuts are “destroying the volunteer army”, and Paul Twivy, the former chief executive of the Big Society Network, who admits that the project is “increasingly loathed” by the public.

As Cameron’s temper reached new heights, Miliband stepped back from the despatch box and calmly replied: “He shouldn’t got so angry, it will cloud his judgement,” before adding the killer pay-off: “He’s not the first prime Minister I’ve said that to.” After today’s performance, this “son of Brown” has reminded us why he may succeed where his old boss failed.

Content from our partners
Development finance reform: the key to climate action
Individually rare, collectively common – how do we transform the lives of people with rare diseases?
Future proofing the NHS

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU