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Nick Clegg: PMQs is increasingly tedious exchange of point-scoring | Nick Clegg: PMQs is increasingly tedious exchange of point-scoring |
(about 2 hours later) | |
The deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, has said prime minister’s questions is becoming an increasingly tedious exchange of party political point-scoring and that his presence at the event would not be “constant” in the New Year. | The deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, has said prime minister’s questions is becoming an increasingly tedious exchange of party political point-scoring and that his presence at the event would not be “constant” in the New Year. |
Speaking on his phone-in radio show on LBC, Clegg said the weekly session in parliament was becoming a tedious exchange that was more about “people brandishing their own party’s credentials, rather than what it is supposed to be about, which is the opposition scrutinising the coalition government as a whole and the prime minister defending the coalition government as a whole.” | |
“I think my presence isn’t going to be constant,” he added. | “I think my presence isn’t going to be constant,” he added. |
Clegg said: “It’s not surprising because we’re in the runup to a general election, but David Cameron, to be blunt, is not speaking as the prime minister of a coalition government increasingly in prime minister’s questions. | Clegg said: “It’s not surprising because we’re in the runup to a general election, but David Cameron, to be blunt, is not speaking as the prime minister of a coalition government increasingly in prime minister’s questions. |
“He’s basically using it as a platform to advertise Conservative party policy and it’s not my job to sit there on my hands politely helping him along.” | “He’s basically using it as a platform to advertise Conservative party policy and it’s not my job to sit there on my hands politely helping him along.” |
The deputy prime minister joked with the show’s host, Nick Ferrari, that he could use the time for productive activities, suggesting he might bring a “little pillow” or headphones in to the chamber, or catch up on emails, sign Christmas cards or even play the game Candy Crush Sage on his phone – a reference to an incident in which a Conservative MP was spotted playing the popular game during a parliamentary committee meeting. | The deputy prime minister joked with the show’s host, Nick Ferrari, that he could use the time for productive activities, suggesting he might bring a “little pillow” or headphones in to the chamber, or catch up on emails, sign Christmas cards or even play the game Candy Crush Sage on his phone – a reference to an incident in which a Conservative MP was spotted playing the popular game during a parliamentary committee meeting. |
“Do I enjoy sitting there watching David Cameron and Ed Miliband week-in, week-out tearing strips out of each other and I can’t get up and say my piece? It’s not my favourite time of the week,” he said. |
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