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| Clegg prepares for first PM clash | Clegg prepares for first PM clash |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Nick Clegg is preparing for his first Prime Minister's question time as Liberal Democrat leader. | Nick Clegg is preparing for his first Prime Minister's question time as Liberal Democrat leader. |
| The 41-year-old will face Gordon Brown in the House of Commons in the first weekly half-hour session of 2008. | The 41-year-old will face Gordon Brown in the House of Commons in the first weekly half-hour session of 2008. |
| Mr Clegg, who beat Chris Huhne to the leadership in December, will have two questions in which to make an impact. | Mr Clegg, who beat Chris Huhne to the leadership in December, will have two questions in which to make an impact. |
| Vince Cable, who became acting leader after Sir Menzies Campbell quit, received widespread praise for his witty contributions to question time. | Vince Cable, who became acting leader after Sir Menzies Campbell quit, received widespread praise for his witty contributions to question time. |
| TIMINGS Prime Minister's questions lasts from 1200 to 1230. You can watch it live from this page. End of two-party system?Clegg's frontbench team class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/6268466.stm">PM's first Commons clash class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/4505250.stm">Cameron's debut as leader | |
| The weekly joust between the prime minister, leaders of the opposition and MPs, is a notoriously rowdy affair in which members have to almost shout to get themselves heard. | The weekly joust between the prime minister, leaders of the opposition and MPs, is a notoriously rowdy affair in which members have to almost shout to get themselves heard. |
| Unlike the prime minister and leader of the opposition, the Lib Dem leader does not have a dispatch box from which to ask his questions. | Unlike the prime minister and leader of the opposition, the Lib Dem leader does not have a dispatch box from which to ask his questions. |
| No dispatch box | No dispatch box |
| The Lib Dem leader also suffers from having only two questions compared with Conservative leader David Cameron's six questions. | The Lib Dem leader also suffers from having only two questions compared with Conservative leader David Cameron's six questions. |
| And in both cases the occasion is structured in a way which means the prime minister always has the last word in any exchange. | And in both cases the occasion is structured in a way which means the prime minister always has the last word in any exchange. |
| The subject chosen by Mr Clegg, an ex-journalist, former Euro MP and the Lib Dems' third leader in two years, will be closely watched for signs of his priorities as leader. | The subject chosen by Mr Clegg, an ex-journalist, former Euro MP and the Lib Dems' third leader in two years, will be closely watched for signs of his priorities as leader. |
| As a new leader Mr Clegg's initial task is to raise his public profile - there is widespread debate about the importance of the Commons questions sessions on voters' views. | As a new leader Mr Clegg's initial task is to raise his public profile - there is widespread debate about the importance of the Commons questions sessions on voters' views. |
| But the experience of past Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell - and Iain Duncan Smith for the Conservatives - suggests that poor performances can damage a leader's standing with their own MPs. | But the experience of past Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell - and Iain Duncan Smith for the Conservatives - suggests that poor performances can damage a leader's standing with their own MPs. |