Brown: PMQs 'will never change'
More Punch and Judy?
The Electoral Reform Society is a voluntary organisation that campaigns for a better democracy, particularly through changes to our electoral system.
|  |
Find more Opinion Formers in this category:
MPs voted to ban tax exiles like Lord Ashcroft from making large donations to political parties last like, after a U-turn from Jack Straw. |  |
Is it consistent with the government's renewed drive to clean up politics to allow tax exiles to carry on funding our parties? |  |
Thursday, 16, Jul 2009 12:00
By Ian Dunt
Prime minister's questions will never stop being a place for knock-about politics, Gordon Brown has confirmed.
Appearing in front of the liaison committee today, the prime minister was asked if he regretted the fact PMQs remained a "Punch-and-Judy" session – something new Speaker John Bercow is keen to clamp down on.
"I would like to see the House of Commons distinguish itself by carrying on in a non-party political way sometimes," Mr Brown replied.
"Prime minister's questions has not, in my time, been the place where that is likely to happen.
"We have got to show the country we can debate in a reasoned way."
To that, one MP asked Mr Brown if that was what he was thinking when he said yesterday that the leaders of the two opposition parties had no policies at all on the economy.
"Unfortunately I had to tell the truth," Mr Brown replied, to laughter from MPs and the public.
David Cameron promised to end the culture of 'Punch-and-Judy' politics when he became Tory leader, but later was forced to admit he had failed.