Early Promise - Cameron's first PMQs

Parliament was most kind to move David Cameron's first Prime Minister's Questions to a later time yesterday which made it fit in with my lecture schedule and allowed me to watch it.  So here's my take:

Recording of PMQs from 02/06/2010 (Courtesy: BBC)

David Cameron's first PMQs was always going to be an interesting affair.  Having stood on the other side of the House for the best part of five years and asked the questions it was now his turn to be interrogated.  It was also his first time facing his new sparring partner Harriet Harman (who decided to come in fancy dress), the stand-in Leader of the Opposition who had all too often been found wanting by William Hague in her time as Deputy Prime Minister.

Harriet Harman doing her best giraffe impression

The biggest question for me was how he was going to go about answering the questions.  Was this merely going to be a continuation of Gordon Brown's tenure with direct answers being avoided in favour of rolling out the same pre-prepared list of Party achievements time and time again?  Or would he go backwards in going forwards, instead opting to give clear and precise answers, in the vein of his Conservative predecessors?

I'm very happy to say that it was very much the latter rather than the former.  Mr. Cameron appeared to answer all questions to the best of his ability and was more than happy to admit when he didn't have an answer immediately to hand.  This in fact formed one of the highlights of the session when he stated to an opposition MP that he was "going to give an accurate answer rather than make one up on the spot", in pledging to answer her question later, in writing.

Another highlight, for its comedy more than anything else, was a Labour MP basically saying to the Prime Minister "come on, admit it, we all hate the Lib Dems really".  Nice to see a Labour MP being free to say what they want in the Chamber rather than having to ask the same planted questions week-in week-out.

All in all Mr. Cameron gave an assured performance, looking well-versed and confident as he stood at the dispatch box and the session had an altogether different air to it.  The session itself appeared to be conducted in a much more relaxed and conversational style; a style most removed from the aggressive and bullish answers of a certain former Prime Minister.

This was however a relatively easy encounter for the Prime Minister and I look forward, with great interest, to seeing how he does once he is facing a stronger Leader of the Opposition whilst having to make the more difficult and unpopular decisions twelve months down the line.