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Scrap “understudy” PMQs – they are a waste of time

June 20, 2012 5:33 pm

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I tried to write a review of “PMQs” today. I really did. Except if we’re completely honest William Hague vs Harriet Harman is not – and in all likelihood never will be – PMQs.

Sure we all pretend that it is. The chamber is still full(ish), the BBC and Sky both provide coverage and analysis and the planted questions still come thick and fast.

But what’s the point?

It achieves nothing of note, is completely unmemorable, and without the principal actors playing the parts it’s not even worthwhile as a point scoring exercise.

“Understudy” PMQs should be scrapped – are here’s why:

Scrutiny – PMQs is supposed to be about the opposition challenging the government on its agenda, but no-one is really pretending that William Hague is in charge while Cameron is away. And despite the fears of Tory backbenchers, no-one pretends that Clegg is left in charge of the nuclear codes when he’s deputising either. The whole session involves the person covering for the PM trying not to contradict their boss. Scrutiny? Nothing of the sort is possible in the circumstances.

Speaking outside their brief – unless you’re the Prime Minister, your brief is necessarily narrow. There’s something farcical about the foreign secretary sparring with the shadow culture media and sport spokesperson on the NHS. That leads to direct questions with patchy answers – even more patchy than the usual PMQs offerings.

DPMQs – now that Deputy PM’s Questions is a significant part of the parliamentary calendar (even if it largely consists of Labour and Tory MPs trying to embarrass Nick Clegg), is there really any point in occasionally duplicating it in front org a larger – but largely disinterested – audience?

The PM is already quite keen to duck out on PMQs as Michael Dugher has noted. So why not go the whole hog and scrap these sham pseudo PMQs altogether? Instead there should be a minimum number of PMQs a session that the PM must attend.

Now that’s more like scrutiny. All we need now is for MPs to start asking proper questions. But that, dear reader, is a rant for another day…

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  • Just_Another_Voter

    I take it Hague wiped the floor with Harman, then?

    • ThePurpleBooker

      Well no. Hague and Harman have history with their PMQs. Hague is always very good as a speaker but hardly on top of the issues. Harman is on top of the issues but always takes the piss out of him.

  • AlanGiles

    Most PMQs are a waste of time.

  • Brumanuensis

    It was a very dull affair. Hague is wittier than Cameron, but no less evasive. Harman did all right, but didn’t really score any major blows. A bit of a nonsense really.

    • treborc1

       I turned it off, it’s become a silly game of trying to score points from second rate leaders of all parties

  • Hamish

    Scrap PMQa.

  • http://www.facebook.com/andrei.dudau Andrei Dudau

    true…. I feel like i’ve wasted 30 minutes from my life…:(

  • Walter Ulbricht

    So, did Nick Clegg not stand in for Cameron? 

  • ThePurpleBooker

    Disagree with Mark Ferguson’s piece. PMQs is about MPs holding the Government to account on a wide range of issues rather than one. It is always scheduled at that time 12pm on a Wednesday. To scrap it means that MPs will have to wait longer to hold the Government directly to account on a range of issues. Also, the assertion that the Shadow Culture Secretary asking the Foreign Secretary about the NHS is odd, well Hague is the third most senior member of the Government (in his role as de-facto Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party) and would have been Deputy Prime Minister had there been a Tory majority (or even a minority). Harriet Harman is also Shadow Deputy Prime Minister therefore there is nothing wrong with them acting on behalf of the Leader of the Opposition and the Prime Minister when they are away. That is their brief and I doubt it gives patchy answers to be fair, seen as they are always ‘prepped’. It is important that Parliament regularly has time to scrutinise the headship of the Government and that should not change even if the Prime Minister is away.

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