PMQs: Why do we bother?
Connor Summerell • UK • 1 minute read
Image: House of Commons / Flickr
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What a waste of 30 minutes. Yesterday’s PMQs could have happened in more or less any week since the 2024 election.
Today’s session in the chamber began on a sombre note. Yesterday marked 60 years since the tragedy at Aberfan; the speaker, Prime Minister, and Leader of the Opposition all used the beginning of their remarks to mark the sombre occasion and emphasise that the behaviour of institutions in the aftermath must never be allowed to happen again.
Following this reflective start, Burnham and Badenoch decided to reproduce a generic script of issues that have been consistently present in British politics for time in memoriam. Badenoch first tried to claim credit for the government’s approval of the Jackdaw field gas licence and commented on the lack of enthusiasm for the decision on the faces of Labour MPs. They then began to go back and forth about Burnham’s spending commitments and failure (or success) in taking the big decisions. Overall, a thoroughly unremarkable affair that will be forgotten within the day.
Image: House of Commons / Flickr
It then came to Ed Davey to try and bring some energy into the room (no, don’t laugh). He used his first question to demand we rejoin the EU. A question so often repeated by the leader of the Liberal Democrats that it is barely worth commenting on. He then asked a more pertinent question regarding the security situation in Ukraine and the alleged US interference in Ukrainian defence systems. Burnham offered a diplomatic non-answer, and everyone moved on with blissfully not thinking about Ed Davey.
Following the leaders’ contributions, there were some more interesting contributions. For example, there was an interesting and pertinent question about endometriosis and its impact. This, among others, represented the true value of PMQs that justifies its very existence. However, the drab and uninspiring 20 minutes before left a distinct feeling that there must be better ways to formally hold the government to account.
Hopefully, given that the budget is next week, we won’t be as bored during the next session.
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•Published: 22/10/26
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