PMQs was worth staying up for

Yesterday I missed watching PMQs live and again on BBC Parliament but managed to catch it fairly late on the repeat Daily Politics. And I have to say I am very glad that I did.

First, I would like to congratulate our Coalition partners [Clegg is the first Liberal leader to do PMQs since early last century] the LibDems, it was a historic moment and they have every reason to be very proud – for the occasion and because Deputy Prime Minster, Nick Clegg was very good and handled himself beautifully. Even saying the Iraq war was illegal – well, it’s what he believes – was done skilfully. We never expected him to become a Tory for one day because he is deputising Cameron, did we!?

On the other hand Jack Straw’s performance was dreadful; he looked uncomfortable out of his depth and simply amateurish. He was shouting over everybody and carried on shouting after everybody stopped – considering he is “JACK STRAW” it was painful to watch!

However, Straw was not alone in the bad performance stake, Speaker Bercow’s management of the proceedings was equally appalling, he miscounted questions, cut people off midway and was unable to control the chamber [screaming louder than the backbenchers does not constitute edification or good administration].

It was an all around bad day for the left!

But the shocker [that is why I am happy I caught PMQs on Daily Politics] was Michael Howard openly and directly sticking the knife in Ken Clarke [re prison reforms] and indirectly in Cameron!

He’ll be wise to remember the great late Ronald Regan’s eleventh commandment? “Thou shall not speak ill of a fellow Conservative” – at least not publicly!