The phrase of the day at PMQs today
"Cast-iron guarantee" was the phrase of the day at Prime Minister's Questions today as Gordon Brown and Labour MPs taunted the Tories on their pledge to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.
The trouble is that Brown calls it "iron cast" and pronounces "iron" in a rather strange way, with two syllables rather than one.
Still, we can expect Labour researchers to be busily examing past Conservative policy statements to see where else they have made "cast-iron guarantees", or "iron-cast".
Interesting to see that the Speaker John Bercow twice gave mild rebukes to Gordon Brown over straying into party politics, and Brown's later retort that he did "not always agree" with Bercow's rulings.
I'm Michael Crick, and I'm Newsnight's political editor. My guiding rule is that in any story there's usually something the politicians would prefer the world not to know. My job is to find that out. Follow me on
Comment number 1.
At 4th Nov 2009, dennisjunior1 wrote:Michael Crick:
Thanks for giving us, the new catch-phrased of the day....
=Dennis Junior=
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Comment number 2.
At 4th Nov 2009, JunkkMale wrote:Darn... I had 'lessons have been learned' as required, if meaningless... again.
Not they have, are, or will be. Ever.
Carry on.
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Comment number 3.
At 4th Nov 2009, jauntycyclist wrote:Gordon, patron of JNF, disciple of Greenspan and Rand market fundamentalism that has bankrupted the uk for a generation, promoter of carbon trading that puts a tax on mere existence and so enriches a curious collection of business, supporter of two pointless wars, blocker of feed in tariffs is making fun of who?
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Comment number 4.
At 4th Nov 2009, barriesingleton wrote:BROWN MUST BE COMPETENT, STABLE AND MATURE - HOW ELSE COULD HE BECOME PRIME MINISTER OF A NULEAR POWER?
Discuss.
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Comment number 5.
At 4th Nov 2009, jauntycyclist wrote:does Gordon know 'ending boom and bust' is the narrative of a ponzi scheme.
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Comment number 6.
At 4th Nov 2009, John_from_Hendon wrote:Any old iron, any old iron.... (i.e. scrap, and of course bankers!!!)
That is about all that will be left of the UK if David Cameron gets his way - thrown out on our ear for refusing to play ball. David does not obviously appreciate that even attempting to make UK laws supreme and above ALL EU laws will have this direct and unavoidable consequence (see his news conference this afternoon.
Either he is an imbecile, or he knows he wont actually do it, or he wants to destroy the country - there seems no other rational or logical explanation. Just watch this space for rapid and humiliating backtracking. We want the Saarland back and we will take the Saarland back - that's what it sounded like to me!!!! The man and party must be idiots.
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Comment number 7.
At 4th Nov 2009, Jupiter wrote:How much longer do we have to put up with this useless Minister Prime Brown Gordon?
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Comment number 8.
At 5th Nov 2009, barriesingleton wrote:QUEL 'PROPRIETEE POLITICALE' (Franglais du jour)
Are we going to let some spasmo Frog apply 'Autism' as a term of abuse against a true Brit?
SEND A GUNBOAT.
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Comment number 9.
At 5th Nov 2009, Essential Rabbit wrote:So, Cameron has upset the Frogs and the odious Hannan. Can't see the downside so far.
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Comment number 10.
At 6th Nov 2009, David Evershed wrote:The Prime Minister is getting confused with IRN BREW, the well known carbonated drink very popular in Scotland but no iron content.
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Comment number 11.
At 6th Nov 2009, JunkkMale wrote:4. At 2:03pm on 04 Nov 2009, barriesingleton wrote:
BROWN MUST BE COMPETENT, STABLE AND MATURE - HOW ELSE COULD HE BECOME PRIME MINISTER OF A NULEAR POWER?
Discuss.
Because.... it is the right do-do to do?
ps: Define 'become'. Are we talking Mandlesonesque or Karzaiesque-styly? Maybe EU-joining-y?
pps: I am presuming the spelling was intentional and suggests the mode of private jet transport our current Nu-L cabinet all seem to aspire to after the example of Blair Farce Une? God forbid a flying Nokia pops the cap off a red button.
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Comment number 12.
At 9th Nov 2009, barry white wrote:What with the competitions on TV at the moment, how about one to see who would be PM?
Song and dance should see it through, and if the Sun has any way, writing and walking and talking.
And you Michael could be one of the judges...
Sorry off on a flight of fancy after disregarding the NHS rules on drink.
It does look like we will have so much more of this in the near future.
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