Elected representatives convene in the House of Commons to discuss politics, policy, law and governance among other matters, but such discussions are seldom without banter
The House of Commons, the mother of all Parliaments as it is known, is the bastion of free speech, debate and dialogue. However, there are numerous instances like this where the faculty of speech is used to identify (petty) weaknesses in the opposite side of the House (depending on where one is seated), make good sound bites, or simply for rhetorical vilification. Some of the words spoken are so ludicrous that they are no different to this comedy piece by Rowan Atkinson doing an impression of a Tory MP.
The list below identifies some humorous moments in the House of Commons over the last few years that debate a serious matter at hand but have an element of humour to it.
Of course some readers may have different viewpoints as to the rankings, but they will surely note the substance of the clips as useful, possibly humourous, or as a complete waste of an opportunity to speak in Parliament.
Here’s our countdown –
10. “You are the weakest link, goodbye”
Over the past few years, The Labour party has had many leaders who are deeply rooted in ideology, though how much their ideologies are a reflection of the founding principles of Labour is a question that resides latently. From Michael Foot, John Smith, Neil Kinnock, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown to the present Leader, Ed Miliband – the Labour Party has seen leaders from almost all hues and shades of the Left or Centre-Left spectrum. Of the Labour leaders, Michael Foot was possibly the most left-wing and Tony Blair was possibly the closest to the Right. That Blair was less left wing may be incongruous with the founding principles of Labour for he created New Labour, but that he was the best rhetorician and choice orator of the Labour party establishment in my lifetime so far is beyond doubt.
In this debate on cuts in his first term as Prime Minister, Blair eviscerates the then Tory Leader, Opposition Leader and present Foreign Secretary William Hague.
9. “She’s going to be the Governor”
Dennis Skinner or ‘Beast of Bolsover’ as he is known is the Labour MP for Bolsover since 1970. I have seen him in full form over the last few years as a thorn in the side of the coalition government during Prime Ministers Questions (PMQs). But this clip which occupies our number 9 position shows how much of a riot he had been in yester years, and that too taking on The Iron Lady.
This is a scene from a session of PMQs in 1990. The then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had warned that a single currency would signify the end of parliamentary democracy in Europe and would help to create a ‘Federal Europe’.
Lib Dem MP for Berwick upon Tweed Alan Beith (now Sir Alan Beith) asks the PM “Will the Prime Minister tell us whether she intends to continue her personal fight against a single currency and an independent central bank when she leaves office?”
See Dennis Skinners brilliant spontaneous response before the PM could get to her feet, of course Thatcher is also quite the sport (at least in this instance):
8. “Drive him to the airport”
News erupted in July 2011 that Milly Dowler’s phone had been hacked; Westminster village was bursting with excitement and anticipation. Ed Miliband broke with several years of British political tradition stemming from the years of Thatcher, and challenged Rupert Murdoch’s empire, implicating them in many ways over the unethical and unlawful practices of phone hacking. Prime Minister David Cameron’s reputation was in question together with that of the then Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt over their close association with Murdoch owned News International, whose newspapers had published information taken from phone hacking.
The then Energy Secretary, Lib Dem MP Chris Huhne was involved in some road traffic controversy. And his estranged wife alleged that Huhne “pressurised people to take his driving licence penalty points”. This matter was taken up and the Murdoch tabloid media were involved in the exposure and humiliation of Huhne for these matters in his private life.
This clip which occupies our number 8 slot identifies Skinner proposing the ideal form of revenge that Chris Huhne (then Energy Secretary) can take on Murdoch and asks some lucid questions that the Culture Secretary struggles to answer.
7. ‘It sticks in the gullet’
David Miliband was the Foreign Secretary in the Labour government when Gordon Brown was the Prime Minister, William Hague was the then Shadow Foreign Secretary.
Upon the Labour defeat of 2010, the roles are reversed and Hague becomes Foreign Secretary and Miliband becomes the Shadow of the Foreign Secretary. However, out of a habit that had been established over years and years of debates, Miliband accidentally addresses Hague as the ‘Shadow Foreign Secretary’.
This innocent and humourous reaction by Miliband upon realising his gaffe occupies our number 7 slot.
6. ‘Calm down dear, calm down’
Occupying our sixth slot is from this debate on health between Ed Miliband and David Cameron. David Cameron is at his patronising and condescending best and one of the Eagle sisters is at the receiving end. Two faces to watch in this clip apart from that of the main protagonist is that of the extremely politically correct Nick Clegg seated next to Cameron and the devout Feminist Harriet Harman seated next to Ed Miliband.
This clip also features a bonus encounter between Cameron and Ed Balls who asks the PM to apologise.
5. “Have you wrecked a restaurant recently?”
Ed Balls struggled in his way through his response to the Autumn Statement by Chancellor George Osborne; however he was back on full form the next week heckling the PM. The PM accuses him of bullying, only to be rebuked by a resurgent Ed Miliband who reminded the PM of his riotous days as a member of the aristocratic, restaurant wrecking Bullingdon Club as a student in Oxford University. The Class wars are back!
4. “The most annoying man in modern politics”
Ed Balls, the shadow Chancellor and Labour attack dog has been heckling the Prime Minister and has been such a thorn at his side that David Cameron just had to ask him to “shut up”. Balls was also identified by Cameron as the “most annoying man in modern politics”, coming from Cameron, I am sure Balls would consider that supposed insult a feather in his hat.
3. “Muttering idiot sitting in front of me”
The Balls – Cameron fights continue, this time Cameron is rebuked by the speaker John Bercow for using un-parliamentary language. Balls mutters in front of him and Cameron can’t help but call Balls a ‘muttering idiot’, who was central to Labour economic policy in the Labour years when Gordon Brown was Chancellor of the Exchequer.
2. “A big part of my life is to give pleasure to Mrs. Bone”
Eurosceptic Tory MP Peter Bone constantly refers to his wife, Mrs. Bone as she is known in Westminster when he asks the house any question. Here, Mr. Bone asks the Prime Minister to give guarantees to Mrs. Bone that the UK will not be involved in any fiscal bailout. The Prime Minister says that in this instance, with regards to giving ‘pleasure to Mrs. Bone’ he can ‘only go so far’. David Cameron was commended by the speaker for his ‘admirable self restraint’. This clip easily occupies our second slot.
1.“When will you hand over to me, all over again”
This scene from the House of Commons in 2008 occupies our number one spot. The Prime Minister then was Gordon Brown, fresh after Tony Blair had vacated the post. David Miliband was the Foreign Secretary and William Hague was the Shadow Foreign secretary (See number 7).
Gordon Brown as Chancellor of the Exchequer had been languishing in the shadows of Tony Blair for ten long years before Blair eventually relinquished his post and handed the reins to Brown. When John Smith died in 1994, Brown was the senior of the two and was widely tipped to be the next Labour leader, but Blair pulled the carpet from under his feet. The rude start of Brown in New Labour in government from 1997 and the long years of waiting made Brown cantankerous. The Blair – Brown rivalry was destructive to Britain as it was to Labour and most certainly reduced the extremely talented Brown, as was reflected in the dismal years that he was Prime Minister.
The House was debating the prospect of the creation of a permanent ‘President of Europe’ in 2008. William Hague identifies the complexities of this post and how the post of ‘Prime Minister’ evolved to be so powerful when the post started as a relatively less powerful ‘First Lord of the Treasury’, a title the British PM holds to this day.
Hague identifies very humourously and deftly the awkward moments Gordon Brown would face as Prime Minister if Tony Blair is elected the ‘President of Europe’.
Image courtesy of : http://www.libdemvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/clegg-cameron-miliband.jpg