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Wednesday, 20 November, 2002, 15:55 GMT
Prime Minister's Questions
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BBC News Online's Nick Assinder gives his instant view on the winners and losers during Tony Blair's weekly grilling in the House of Commons.
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![]() Tony Blair: "I have precisely the same attachment to independence of mind as any of my predecessors as prime minister."
![]() He also pressed for a dedicated Cabinet minister to deal with terror attacks and asked if the prime minister would use emergency powers to ensure public safety during the fire strikes. Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy asked how the prime minister will weigh up the US demand for British troops to join military action in Iraq with the chief of the defence staff's concern about the present military effectiveness of our armed forces. Other topics covered included: The firefighters' dispute; equal opportunity in police support staff recruitment in Northern Ireland and the Good Friday agreement; cuts in the fishing industry; domestic violence; mental health; the national policing plan; funding universities; war on Iraq; prime minister's appointments and hospital bed shortages in Norfolk.
![]() Tony Blair's response was that a review of higher education funding was needed, adding: "The status quo is not an option." ![]() ![]() Indeed, you don't get to be the Chief of Defence Staff without being a politician - and an armed one at that. So the comments by Sir Michael Boyce that he was "extremely concerned" that preparations for a long firefighters' strike were impacting on military effectiveness and that there was no way he was sending his men over picket lines should not have surprised the government. He was doing what good commanders should always do - protecting his troops' backs. But his comments clearly took ministers by surprise and opposition leaders lost no time in seizing on them during question time. Both Iain Duncan Smith, who took all his allotted six questions on the issue, and Charles Kennedy, attempted to embarrass the prime minister over the clear difference between Sir Michael and the government. And Tony Blair attempted to close the gap by ignoring Sir Michael's most pointed comments and simply repeating a selective comment that the military, as always, would meet any demands place on it. Mr Duncan Smith was unfocused and missed the bullseye. Mr Kennedy got closer. But, this time, the winner was without doubt Sir Michael. On past government performance we can probably now expect there to be pressure on the CDS to issue a statement "clarifying" his position. My betting is he is battle hardened enough to resist.
Do you agree with Nick? |
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