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Now it's my turn to answer questions
WEDNESDAY saw the first Prime Minister's Questions since the formation of the new Coalition Government.
I've been to more PMQs than I care to remember but the first occasion after a General Election is always very exciting – this time David Cameron supplied the answers, not the questions! It seems incredible to think that the last Conservative doing that was John Major.
There are other changes. Labour's new acting-Leader, Harriet Harman, asked questions on behalf of Her Majesty's Official Opposition. She'll continue to do so until a new leader is elected and announced in September.
Nick Clegg has lost his guaranteed two questions as he is now part of the Coalition. In fact, he sat alongside David Cameron and will fill in for him if he's away. He also gains his own, monthly, Deputy Prime Minister's Questions.
Love it or loathe it, PMQs is widely recognised as the highlight of the Parliamentary week. It's the opportunity for the Leader of the Opposition and backbench MPs of any party to challenge the Prime Minister in the chamber of the House of Commons. Competition is high and so hopeful MPs must put their names forward for the weekly ballot.
The Prime Minister is not usually given advance notice of questions and so the session becomes an opportunity for MPs, journalists and members of the watching public to see how well he or she acts under pressure.
PMQs has been a staple of the Parliamentary calendar for many years.
Until 1881, MPs asked ministers questions in a rather random fashion and the main business of the House did not commence until all questions had been dealt with. In 1881, questions to the PM were scheduled for the end of the day to enable the rather elderly Mr Gladstone to arrive late.
From 1953, this evolved to answering only on Tuesdays and Thursdays, starting as a concession to Winston Churchill who was increasingly frail.
Upon becoming Prime Minister, Tony Blair decided against the 15 minute slots on Tuesdays and Thursdays and opted for 30 minutes every Wednesday. This was controversial amongst backbenchers as they felt it made it difficult for them to be able to ask topical questions. Nonetheless, this arrangement is still in place today.
It's not often that PMQs is cancelled – deputies or senior colleagues will stand in for the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition but it does sometimes occur. Next week's PMQs will be preceded by questions to the Cabinet Office. So after a gap of a mere 18 years I will once again be answering rather than asking them!
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Weather for Horsham
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -2 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -1 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: North east
