We’d better check that all is well with the government. Well, sometimes it’s as well to see for ourselves and when The Boy came up with two tickets for PMQ, we scooted around and packed ourselves up in double quick time, presenting ourselves at St Stephens entrance with boots blacked, ready to go.
At 12 noon, as people all around the country stood for a minute’s silence to honour those killed in last Wednesday’s events in West Cumbria, we joined them and listened as Big Ben chimed noon. My goodness, what a moving experience that was.
The report of the business of the day can be read here, but it’s so much more interesting to watch the small details. Things like the nudges Jack Straw inflicted on Alastair Darling, sitting next to him, when it was announced that a flag of St George would fly over Downing St during the World Cup “hoping that all parts of the United Kingdom would join in the support of England’s team”. We sat there, spotting MPs we recognised (our own among them…glad Neil Carmichael put in an appearance) and wondering how each new arrival was going to squeeze into what is a really tight space. But they did – Eric Pickles shuffled up a bit to make room!
The whole affair was civilised and good humoured. One might even say “Grown Up”. I think our government is working well and like them or loathe them, both David Cameron and Harriet Harman are very impressive politicians.
After a bite to eat in one of the Parliamentary bars, we left the workers to it and buzzed off back to our car to make our way to Heathrow. As we did, we completed the set, so to speak, bumping into the PM’s wife in Bond Street (metaphorically speaking, of course). Taller and more attractive in real life, we were tempted to reassure her that her dh was doing ok…
Last night, we met The Boy from the train in Maidenhead and went to Heston Blumenthal’s Hinds Head pub for supper. Very good it was too. As we left, we spotted this across the square in Bray.
David Cameron would approve?
