What's going on

Just been asked by interns why everyone started making a noise halfway through PMQs. Basically, what happened was this...

Usually at PMQs there are rather a lot of eager backbenchers bobbing up and down on both sides, trying to catch the Speaker's eye. It soon became apparent that the usual Tory suspects (e.g. Sven and the very tall one) were rooted firmly in their seats, forcing the usually shy and retiring Ms Nadine Dorries into the spotlight. Obviously orchestrated by the Tory whips rather than by a spontaneous show of sympathy for the poor, vilely traduced Ms D.

The Speaker eventually had no choice but to call her. She unfortunately made a bit of a hash of it, and actually gave Gordon a good opportunity to publicly re-state what he has already said about the 'Red Rag' episode.

Of course once this was out of the way, suddenly all the Tories sprang to life again. It's not the done thing to try to 'play' the Speaker in this way, and he was having none of it. Despite their best efforts, he managed to get through to the end of the session alternating between Labour and Lib Dem/ SNP MPs, and none of them got a look in. Hence our cheers and jeers.

The queen of karaoke

Harriet Harman just said to me at the vote now, "I hear you're into karaoke"! Can I just make absolutely clear that this is not true. Not at all. Every now and again the 5/5/5/ intake get together for a social, which on occasion includes karaoke - and I'm the one sat in the corner, adamantly refusing to join in. Not drinking may have something to do with it.

Anyway, Harriet says it was definitely me her source was talking about, but maybe it wasn't karaoke after all... the mind boggles. (Actually I think Tom Harris and some of the 2001 intake quite enjoy the odd karaoke session too. But not me.)

PMQs today was low-key, as expected. David Cameron, for the first time, impressed me as a human being; he came across as very genuine, and not at all pre-rehearsed talking about Ivan. Questions were on Northern Ireland, on which there is broad consensus, and then onto the rather more contentious issue of rendition. Nick Clegg went on the French decision re NATO; not sure that would have any resonance with the great British public, more a reflection of his own personal interests. I was told an anecdote by a Tory MP recently: Nick Clegg went in to see his boss at the European Commission, Sir Leon Brittan, to announce that he'd been selected for a parliamentary seat and would therefore have to leave work. 'Congratulations' boomed Brittan, 'You'll be an asset to the party'. At which point Nick had to explain that he was actually going to be standing as a Liberal Democrat.

A bit of light relief from all the statesmanship came when the Lib Dem MP for Chesterfield namechecked the neighbouring seat, Bolsover, in a question about concessionary bus fares, and then the Speaker called Dennis Skinner to put the boot in. But the best moment came just before PMQs when David Taylor asked the Welsh Secretary about the Barnett formula. Paul Murphy replied dryly that 'the Barnett formula has been in place for the past thirty years and you've been asking questions about it for the past ten', much to the amusement of Joel Barnett (now Lord Barnett) who was sitting up in the public gallery. I'm sure he had no idea when he introduced the formula as a fairly junior Treasury minister that he'd still be getting namechecks thirty years later.

Anyway - busy day from now onwards so no more blogging.

Obviously the most important point made at PMQs today...

Was chatting to Tom Watson in the tearoom just now about this latest example of Tory mendacity. Apparently they also altered a Wiki entry once on - and I quote 'warthog poo'. Anyone know what that was all about?

Questions

I've got topical question 1 at Defra Qs tomorrow. Probably going to ask about the RSPCA's "rooting for pigs"campaign, although I think Richard Bacon asked something similar at PMQs today. Couldn't quite tell as Tory MPs were laughing too loudly at the idea of someone called Bacon asking a question about pork.

I just about squeezed in during extra-time at PMQs today. My question was about Bristol's ambitions to be the European Green Capital and being annointed the UK's most sustainable city, not to mention making it into the Top 10 Cities to visit in 2009... and did he agree that green jobs and sustainable development are key to getting us out of the economic downturn? He says he's going to visit Bristol very soon. And yes on green jobs too - there are announcements pending.

PMQs

I hesitate now to say anything about PMQs, in view of the previous post, but it was great fun today. OK, it was slightly unfortunate for Gordon to declare that 'we saved the world', (Tony would have turned that into a joke, saying something like, 'No, that on tomorrow's To Do list'). But Cameron simply can't sustain six questions in a row on the economy, and Gordon's 'let me teach you something' is very effective. Speaking of which, did anyone see Boy George being Paxmanned last night? Painful.

Funniest moment at PMQs though was when Nick Clegg absolutely walked into it, starting his first question with 'A single mother and her two children came to my surgery....' He should know by now not to mention women. At all. Ever.

Scary Kerry

Didn't see PMQs today - I was having lunch with Dr Robert Shapiro, former economic adviser to Clinton, Gore and Kerry (the other one) and now an adviser to the Obama transition team. By all accounts it was a massacre (PMQs, not lunch). Cameron is caught in a difficult position; he can't re-establish his credibility unless he talks about the economy. And he can't re-establish his credibility if he does - because (a) the Conservatives are all over the place on it, (b) he doesn't know very much about it, and (c) Gordon does.

In response to a journalist's question at the seminar which followed lunch, Dr Shapiro described Gordon's response to the economic downturn as 'superb'. He then slightly spoilt it by adding 'especially when compared to George Bush and Henry Paulson'.

Speaking of Kerry (the other one), I was visiting a friend at the weekend and he was wearing the 'Scary Kerry' T-shirt I'd bought him in Washington at the time of the last election. Kind of wish I'd kept that for myself now.