I think it is very important, whether you are a political leader or a military leader, to think very carefully about what you are about to say.
Arturo and I heard those words! We looked at each other sagely and nodded. How true! How very true! But has our Boy David listened to those splendid words of advice that he gave out so freely? Arturo and I do hope so!
Today was PMQs again - for those of you not familiar with the term - it stands for Prime Minister's Questions. It's something the British parliament has subjected its 'first among equals' to for many many years: quite an ordeal! Even PMs such as MacMillan and Blair, so outwardly confident and full of themselves, found it daunting. Boy David, with all the seeming advantages of an Eton and Oxford education, should be able to hold his own without a sign of a fluttering heartbeat. In the beginning - he did. He swaggered to his place, as to the manner born.
But - the last two PMQs have seen Boy David starting to look vulnerable. Miliband - Ed that is not David - has developed a new tactic. Let's be honest - he did need to do this. Boy David wiped the floor with him for weeks on end. Last week, however, Miliband's questions on the benefits being taken from cancer patients rather ruffled our PM's feathers. In fact, he looked downright dishevelled. He began making snide comments in the fashion of a 'public school bully' - several commentators said.
So - today was to be another test of nerves for both our Boy David and for Ed Miliband, whom Arturo and I have named the Startled One. You must agree, he does look constantly surprised by everything - even by his own speeches. Still - that's no bad thing!
Questions today flowed fast and furious: Miliband began with some warm-up questions. The first was about the cost of the Afghanistan war. He made a comment on the same subject matter as covered in my blog yesterday - the way Cameron told the army chiefs :“You do the fighting, I’ll do the talking”. Miliband finished by saying that this remark had been “very crass and high-handed”. Boy David - true to form - did not flinch or back down. He was cheered on by his motley crew of back-benchers!
Then, the Startled One began asking about the DNA records of people who have been arrested for rape, but not charged. So, you ask, what's clever about that? Well, my dears, our Boy David is well briefed about the big issues, the broad sweep of things. But, he isn't one for details in his briefings! And so it was that he did not answer the question. Instead, to cover his lack of detail, he went on to attack Labour for a speech made by the Shadow Chancellor. The Speaker intervened and the Startled One repeated his question. This time, Theresa May, Home Secretary, her of the leather jackets and weird shoes fame, leaned towards her leader and tried desperately to brief him on the missing details. Boy David was flustered, his cool evaporating fast!
The Startled One quipped that perhaps he should be better briefed before coming to the House. To which Boy David retorted that:
“I understand there is some worry that in this government we actually talk to each other.”This produced guffaws of Tory laughter! The Startled One - not given to comedy act responses - managed one this time. He said:
“It would be better to talk to his colleagues before they put forward the policy than afterwards.”
So - maybe our Boy David should heed his own words of the morning :
I think it is very important, whether you are a political leader or a military leader, to think very carefully about what you are about to say.
So, it's 'Bye' from Arturo:
And it's 'Bye' from me:
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