20 Jul 2011

Cameron rides out Labour hack attack

Right at the beginning of the Commons statement there was a bit of electricity in the air. It felt like this might just be one of those moments when a big slice is taken off a Prime Minister’s reputation.

The Prime Minister raised the temperature himself with a foreshadowed possible full-scale apology that could come if Andy Coulson is proved to have lied to him.

Ed Miliband’s attack had some potent moments (wrestling with a conflict of interest between duty to the nation and duty to his friend) but it wasn’t simple enough to wound. It wasn’t a flop…it wasn’t a repeat of Westland when Neil Kinnock fought on so many fronts no-one could keep up. But it had too many messages, too much detail. And the moment dissipated.

The other reason for this was formidable work by the Tory whips. They had co-ordinated their backbenchers much better than Labour did. There was noise, synchronised attacks on Labour. The Chief Whip earnt a pat on the back from the PM before setting off for his hols. A record 136 questions proved that more is sometimes less.

Nick Clegg has been mastering his new stance, sitting next to the PM while managing to convey that he’d rather be anywhere else.

David Cameron and Nick Clegg in the CommonsThe old Nick Clegg, at the start of the Coalition, used to sit turned slightly towards David Cameron, gazing up with proper reverence, frequently nodding, patting the PM on the arm after a particularly good outing. The new Nick Clegg has subtly shifted his body the other way. His attention seems to be gripped by something way up on the Commons ceiling down the far end of the chamber, There is no Nancy Reagan-style gaze on the PM, not so much as a glance.

Anyway, the PM did something to cheer up his backbenchers today. They’d been grumbling about No. 10 looking slow, stunned and incapable of getting its argument out on the TV screens. They leave for the recess a bit happier.

Labour leaves a bit happier too, more comfortable with their leader, even if many of the MPs are still not entirely reconciled to him.

The Lib Dems feel vindicated after two decades of fighting Murdoch’s hegemony. But all three parties sense the voters won’t tolerate much more obsession with phone hacking right now…and looking at Africa, Europe and the US, it’s not hard to find other topics of concern.

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