Friday 25 July 2008

Dispatch of the Day - Last game of the season

Both teams are already dreaming of thier flip-flops and cocktails.

Although both leaders had their pre-prepared 'leave the public with something to think about over the summer' rants, neither even comes close to scoring a goal.

A damp squib to end the season. Sad really.

Result 0 - 0

Wednesday 2 July 2008

Dispatch of the Day - 25th June 2008

Gordon wins.

Shocker from Cameron, didn't know whether his coming or going. Brown's win comes courtesy of a wooden pre-prepared rant, but at this stage of proceedings he'll take what he can get.

Result 1 - 0

Wednesday 18 June 2008

Dispatch of the Day - 18th June 2008

Poor today, from both teams.

Cameron sends out the question about the EU treaty knowing Brown won't answer so he can get in jibes about a lack of leadership and indecisiveness from Brown. The Jellyfish joke is weak to say the least.

The most annoying of Gordon's current stock answers is the one about the Conservatives record in Europe. Its outing today didn’t help his cause. His reputation took a knock today but more by his own doing than Cameron's.

Result 0 - 0

Dispatch of the Day - 11th June 2008

Well, today I’ve got to give it to Gordon.

Cameron flopped with his questions allowing Brown some easy comebacks. When Brown did start to gabble, his trusty friend Mr Martin was on hand to interrupt proceedings and give him time to think.

Cameron's attack culminated in accusations of ineffective authoritarianism, but the game was already won for Brown by this point.

Result 2 - 1

Wednesday 4 June 2008

Dispatch of the Day - 4th June 2008

So, we're back from our little break...refreshed and ready to go?

Well, Cameron was.

A well rounded attack on the PM today from Cameron covering U-turns, weakness, lack of respect from ministers and lack of honesty. The most repeated word at the beginning of the onslaught - TAX. Cameron said it a lot. Cameron went strongly on the new car taxes which will hit vehicles up to 7 years old. A good recipe for a goal, take a public already smarting over petrol prices and suggest the government is going to sting them again over car tax. Now sit back and watch Brown dig himself a hole, periodically stirring the pot with claims of dodgy figures and jibes about how out of touch he is with the public and how his own government thinks the idea is stupid. Easy.

The PM for his part stumbled over his joke about Cameron's bicycle and his similarity to a used car salesman. His points about Cameron shying away from a painful green tax merely served to remind everyone that this retrospective green tax is not helpful for families trying to run a car. Weak, really weak today.

The 42 day argument notable by it's absence today.

Result 0 - 3

Friday 23 May 2008

Dispatch of the Day - 21st May 2008

Once again Cameron begins with Burma, but there is a by-election coming up and the niceties are soon dispensed with.

The theme today, Captain Brown won’t answer the question. And true to form, on the issue of whether the £2.7b to help those affected in the scrapping of the 10p tax band will continue next year. Brown hits back, albeit rather weakly, by asking Cameron what the Tories would do. Quite an annoying tactic.

Captain Cameron also teases Brown over his absence from the by-election campaign. His attacks are less effective than in previous weeks and although Brown was irritated I think this was a wasted opportunity. Brown gets his soundbite out at the end “get by without substance for some of the time but he'll never get by without substance all of the time” and scores a consolation goal. Sadly for Brown, the Tories are going to win the by-election and next week Cameron will be insufferable.

Result 2 – 1

Dispatch of the Day 14th May 2008

Cameron was in free scoring mood today and choreographed his attack well to fit in with Nick Clegg’s questions.

Cameron's discussion of the Burma and Chinese disasters achieves 3 things-
-Appears to forego the Punch and Judy of PMQs
-Shows compassion
-Subtly suggests Brown isn't doing enough or leading the situation

Very clever. He then sits down and allows Clegg to have a real swipe over the 10p tax fiasco and the 'charade' of the package announced by Darling. If Cameron had raised this Brown would have hot back over Tory plans and what their position would be. This way the issue is raised, Brown is damaged and Cameron can attack in a different direction.

That direction is housing and the theme of the attack - Brown isn't and won't be straight with people. This point is reinforced by attacks on the £2.7bn package and the by-election and the problems with Bendy Wendy in Scotland. Issues the public and media are highly cynical about and to which he knows Brown won't give a straight answer.

Brown, however, seemed in the mood for a fight. Obviously he didn't answer the questions but rather went on the offensive regarding previous Troy governments. While he managed to get off some good sound bites, I for one am very tired of this argument from Brown. Yes it happened and the country was in a mess and you know it will evoke bad memories of the Tories but it was a long time ago, get over it Gordon. If that is the sum total of the Government’s argument, the Tories would be worse than us, you have big problems.

Result 1 - 3