Cameron taunts Brown over Chancellor's 'forces of hell' claim at rowdy PMQs

Published on Wednesday 24 February 2010 13:12

GORDON Brown attempted to come to the defence of Chancellor Alistair Darling today, denying he had instructed aides to unleash "the forces of hell" against him as Tory leader David Cameron seized the opportunity to attack the Government.

• Gordon Brown (left) sits next to Alistair Darling at PMQs today

In firey Commons question time exchanges, Mr Cameron asked why the Prime Minister and the Chancellor were "at war with each other" at the end of a long recession.

He repeatedly taunted Mr Brown over Mr Darling's accusation last night that aides to the Prime Minister had unleashed "the forces of hell" against him for predicting the recession would be the worst for 60 years.

As Speaker John Bercow threatened to suspend the noisy sitting if MPs did not calm down, Mr Brown hit back, saying he had never instructed staff to brief against the Chancellor.

"I would rather be defending my Chancellor than be in your position of having to defend your shadow chancellor," he told Mr Cameron.

Mr Brown arrived in the chamber with Mr Darling to loud Tory jeers just before question time got under way and sat beside him on the front bench.

This led Mr Cameron to quip, as the row escalated: "Any closer and they'll start kissing!"

The Tory leader underlined the need for "openness" at the heart of government.

"After the Chancellor's extraordinary statement last night, you said this morning on GMTV 'I would never instruct anybody to do anything other than support my Chancellor'.

"Try and stand up with a straight face and tell us that's true," he demanded.

Mr Brown replied: "It's not only correct but this is the nearest you've ever got to talking about the economy in the last few months."

Mr Cameron retorted: "If you want to talk about the economy, we can talk about you trebling the deficit, wrecking the pension system, ruining the tax system and bringing this country to its knees.

"But right now, six weeks before an election, with a record budget deficit, at the end of a long recession, I want to ask why you and the Chancellor are at war with each other?

"This is what we are told: Damian McBride, your spin doctor, was spreading poison against Darling. He told every journalist who had access to a pencil that Alistair's interview was a disaster. There was the most poisonous briefing against him.

"Last night the Chancellor said that after he said what he said, No 10 Downing Street 'unleashed the forces of hell'.

"Why do you think he said that?"

Mr Brown told him: "I've already answered that. I never instructed a briefing against the Chancellor.

"When it comes to the economy, can you now explain why you were for reducing the deficit, then against reducing the deficit, and are now for reducing the deficit again?

"None of your policies stand up. There's never any substance from you."

Mr Cameron said it was the Prime Minister who put "moral character at the heart of the election" and had said "judge us on our moral compass".

He demanded: "Why is it the moral compass always points at someone else, rather than you?"

As the clamour grew, Mr Bercow intervened, saying: "If Members don't stop shouting I may have to ring some sort of helpline myself, or suspend the sitting.

"It makes an extremely bad impression, this sort of noise and ranting, on the British public.

"I appeal to the House to have some regard for the way in which we are viewed by the electorate."

Mr Cameron quipped: "I gather things have got so bad in Downing Street that even the security guards need protection."

He went on: "Let's just keep it simple. Will you get to your feet and tell us you knew absolutely nothing about the briefing against your Chancellor?

"In front of all these people who have worked with you for so long, after 27 ministerial resignations, after three attempts to get rid of him – get to your feet and tell us you knew nothing about the briefing against the Chancellor."

Mr Brown said: "You're not doing very well. You've asked the same question three times and I have answered it.

"I would rather be defending my Chancellor than be in your position having to defend your shadow chancellor.

"The truth is that the Chancellor has been right on every issue of economic policy over the last two years and the shadow chancellor and you have been wrong on every issue in the last two years."

The Opposition leader demanded: "If the Chancellor was right, why were you trying to get rid of him?

"Figures out today show that GDP per capita is lower today than when this Government began.

"Will you confirm this is the first Government in 40 years to leave this country poorer than when it began?"

Mr Brown said he and the Chancellor could confirm that GDP was "higher per head than it was in 1997".

He told Mr Cameron: "The problem with you is that not one time do you ask any question about the substance of policy. You get it wrong every time.

"People are now taking a long hard look at the Conservatives and they are now seeing through them."