How was he for you?

Well, the Gord's managed to get through two of the three horror-events he's got planned today without suffering a major mishap. The policy he adopted at his press conference of talking expansively about his "vision" every time somebody asked a question that may have been within the same postcode as the words "polling" and "returns" in any sort of order ensured that most hacks gave up trying to elicit any further and better particulars out of him.

As to the Iraq statement this afternoon, it passed without incident. Dave, aside from slipping a crafty one in about how pleased he was the the Gord had managed to get round to informing Parliament about the returning troops eventually, was relatively muted. He couldn't exactly descend from the visitors' gallery with all guns blazing at the Prime Minister for risk of looking as opportunistic as he'd previously accused Brown of being.

In any event, the news that the number of troops in Iraq is going to be cut by 2,500 seemed to please everybody, if not the manner of its initial annoucement.

That didn't stop a Tory MP asking whether Broon had decided to inform his Defence Secretary of his decision or, as is rumoured, just took the decision unilaterally and allowed poor old Des to find out the way the rest of us did - from the news. Brown merely replied that he'd "been very clear on this issue" and went on to talk about something else.

Appropros of nothing, it would also appear that it is Loud Tie Day in the Jack Straw household; the tasteful confection he was sporting this afternoon in the Chamber was actually distorting the picture on the Westmonster TV screen.

The Gord's only got the Parliamentary Labour Party meeting to go before it's all over - for now. Given he's managed to avoid a complete breakdown thus far, the PLP may well be a doddle. But there still could be rancour if MPs feel that they've been messed around, kept out of the loop, or encouraged to waste money on fruitless campaigning.

Ears open for any roar of rage from Dennis Skinner emanating from the Committee Corridor area.

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 8 Oct 2007 5:01 PM. Permalink