Concerns have been raised Labour leader Ed Miliband after he said he’s done a lot of thinking and decided it is Prime Minister’s Question’s that “subtracts from the reputation of politics” and definitely not the MPs expenses scandal, a proposed 11% pay rise, many MPs having six-figures salary directorships on the side, failed economic policies or their inability to put people before big businesses and banks.
Speaking on the BBC, Miliband said: “People can accept us selling half the country’s gold reserves at rock bottom prices and the coalition’s attack on the most vulnerable through welfare reform, but they just will not accept planted questions and the occasional joke at PMQ’s.
“Politicians will only be taken seriously when they learn not to heckle,” he continued. “The 30 people that watch PMQ’s will not tolerate it any more.
“And if all those happy people that are working hard for minimum wage to help pay off the national debt that was created by their politicians’ decisions could watch on a Wednesday lunchtime, their opinion of us would definitely be lowered as well.”
His words follow The Speaker John Bercow’s letter to the main party leaders and Nick Clegg asking them to make sure during the sessions politicians start acting and speaking like ordinary people and “stop the twittishness”.
Miliband finished by saying “The electorate are desperate to like their politicians and all MPs need to do to gain trust and credibility is calm down during PMQ’s, nothing else, no other reform will do it. At least that’s what Len McCluskey told me and he’s a man of the people.”
