Afghanistan dominates PMQs
By Ian Dunt
The war in Afghanistan cast a long shadow over the first prime minister’s questions of the new term today, with almost every question dedicated to the subject.
Despite Westminster becoming a hotbed of conspiracy and rumours since MPs received a letter on their expenses from Sir Thomas Legg on Monday, the topic did not emerge during the session.
Instead, the prime minister began by reading out the names of all 37 British service personnel killed in the conflict during the summer months.
“Nothing can erase the pain for their families,” Mr Brown told MPs.
“They will not be forgotten.”
After the session ended, Mr Brown used a statement to MPs to announce that 500 more troops would be sent to the region.
In an extremely sombre and subdued session, Mr Brown and David Cameron addressed each other in respectful tones. The exchange only became heated when Mr Cameron suggested the training period for Territorial Army men going to Afghanistan was being cut.
Mr Brown said he would look into it.
In the later statement, Nick Clegg, Lib Dem leader, suggested he did not believe the government were following an over-arching strategy in Afghanistan.
General Sir Richard Dannatt’s decision to accept a job and peerage with a future Conservative government was not mentioned, although one MP asked Mr Brown: “Is it more dangerous for politicians to become generals, or for generals to become politicians.”
The prime minister laughed and said he thanked General Dannatt for his service.
The first PMQs of the new term followed weeks of party conferences. Labour’s was dubbed “operation fightback” and focused on Mr Brown’s fight for political survival.
The Conservatives’ showcased George Osborne’s plans for the economy and the Liberal Democrats’ conference saw Vince Cable arguing for a “mansion tax” to be levied on owners of homes costing more than £1million.
