IF there is one thing we can take from Jeremy Corbyn’s first week in power, it’s that he makes thing unpredictable.
The political press are falling over themselves because here is the party leader who lacks the discipline and slickness and control and caution of other leaders. Many of his supporters like him exactly because of this.
Nobody could quite predict how Corbyn would tackle PMQs. The wall of sound of 650 MPs squeezed into a room that only comfortably sits 450, all braying and shouting like loons is quite an incredible experience to witness. Being at the centre of it is, according to just about every leader of the Opposition to write an autobiography, terrifying.
David Cameron has ten years’ experience of PMQs. He’s seen off Blair, Brown and Miliband. He knows exactly what he’s doing.
It would take something a bit special to surprise Cameron. Corbyn managed to do just that.
The crowdsourcing of PMQs was inspired and worked better than Corbyn and his team could possibly have imagined.
The chamber listened, relatively, respectfully. The PM answered, relatively, fully and respectfully. It is, of course, hard to be disrespectful when the questions are coming from real people rather than politicians. Corbyn managed to change FMQs on his first go. That’s impressive.
The only thing is that Cameron didn’t look bothered once. He was never uncomfortable and was always in control and able to provide an answer. I don’t think he broke a sweat at any of Corbyn’s questions.
As a journalist, I am used to bloodied noses at PMQs but maybe the voters at home don’t care for this kind of blood. They care much more for questions and answers.
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