It was when Jeremy got his IMF’s mixed up with his IFS’s at PMQ’s that everyone LOL’d.
Well not quite everyone since the Labour front bench developed a sudden interest in the chamber’s Pugin ceiling.
But that was a good as it got for what once was an-all ticket affair at noon on a Wednesday.
There was a time when MP’s would queue-up to get the best spots
for the fun ahead.
Today Ken Clarke had enough space to sling his hammock after his hook.
The ghost of PMQ’s past, Chancellor-as-was George could be seen lurking on the backest of back benches.
Gone when he could be found down the front hanging on to the guy ropes tethering Downing Street Dave.
Gone too, from super-sledger to sequins, arch winder-up Ed Balls.
In their place the Terry and Jerry show, briefly knowledge over noise, now normal service resumed.
Jeremy had promised a kinder PMQs but a year as Labour leader has drained that reservoir.
Theresa May had promised nothing – and she is sticking to it.
What she has quickly established is – like her predecessor – PMQs is not PMA’s.
Jeremy too has finally realised that Prime Ministerial answers has nothing to do with the day.
He may have stumbled over his abbreviations but that was only a small part of the big shout that now marks his intervention.
As he cannot safely do follow-ups, he gets through his script as angrily as possible, pausing only to send death-stares across the aisles.
It must dangerous place since the PM has also developed a range of looks-that-can-kill for her friends in the People’s Party.
With both sides happily ignoring each other, today’s PMQ’s can be declared a score draw.
Speaker Bercow, a shadow of himself since despised Dave demised, hung on till 12.36 until pulling the plug.
Then, to celebrate St Andrew’s Day, the SNP’s Alex Salmond moved on to the urgent question of the day – did Tony Blair lie over Iraq?
He wants an inquiry.
“Lost in your shadows” flickr photo by chris.chabot https://flickr.com/photos/chrischabot/11600847983 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC) license
