MPs should take note of Tony Blair’s surprisingly honest response to a PMQs question
Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) has always been a lively affair, and not necessarily in a good way.
Some of those at the despatch box have been better at thinking on their feet – whether that meant giving thorough responses, sassy comebacks, or downright lies.
A clip of a PMQs featuring then PM Tony Blair has just resurfaced, and it’s a refreshingly honest moment that we’d quite like to see more of.
Tony Blair shows how to deal with a PMQ on an obscure matter, from 2005: pic.twitter.com/4TMUyyOh6t
— James Heale (@JAHeale) October 28, 2024
There was also this …it was clearly all go on the Isle of Wight.
And another pic.twitter.com/Epg3Du1K2H
— Blairite (@ohblairite) October 28, 2024
In the age of so rarely hearing a question answered, we can’t help but wonder how often “I don’t know” might be the real response.
1.
Gotta luv this from Tony. The subtle contempt and honesty is brutal https://t.co/vmNC2Zvz4s
— Sanjay Patel (@ckdSanjay) October 29, 2024
2.
I grew up on the Isle of Wight, was in secondary (high) school during this interaction.
My school was one of the worst performing in the country.
Fortunately our MP had our back, questioning the PM about a pet cemetery that interred “4-5 pets a year”. https://t.co/IkP7b3FP3p
— Tony Hunter (@tony_j_hunter) October 29, 2024
3.
This is very good https://t.co/6FyzZZdCXh
— Tim (totally unremarkable) (@forwardnotback) October 29, 2024
4.
"I don't know," the most underrated and underused answer in politics/the English language
— Luke McLaughlin (@LukeMcLaughlin) October 28, 2024
5.
I remember this and still regard it as one of the best PMQ moments of all time. https://t.co/TYeBtjxksm
— johnmoorcraft (@moorcraftjohn) October 28, 2024
6.
That’s probably the first honest answer in Westminster in about 20 years https://t.co/hgeXG4mmW0
— Rick Barrow (@RickBarr0w) October 29, 2024
7.
Wouldn’t it be **great** to have this level of honesty and transparency in today’s politics? https://t.co/KebJWh03hZ
— Jason Carthy-Torbitt (@ParallaxFluxTX) October 28, 2024
8.
This brilliant clip actually exposes an important point.
And it’s this:
Politicians don’t know everything – and when they admit that we often have more empathy and respect for them. https://t.co/91gNRrcv1W— Nick Owens (@NicholasOwens) October 29, 2024
9.
Would love to see more of this not just in politics but life in general. “I don’t know but I will get back to you” is a perfectly good answer when the alternative is just to bullshit your way through an answer https://t.co/NBe9EtRpth
— Luke Cotterill (@luke4OW) October 28, 2024
10.
I detest Blair but 99% of politicians could learn a thing or two from this. Just be honest and say you aren’t sure, you’re a human not a policy encyclopaedia https://t.co/omMHT85jyX
— J. D. Underhill (@WolfofHobbiton) October 29, 2024
11.
"let me just say, im sure we are doing something" nobody does it like blair these days https://t.co/1WZWmC6Ud9
— valérien (@valstartaker_) October 29, 2024
12.
If more politicians did this in general there would be much greater trust in politics and fewer Trumps in the world. https://t.co/xGQVn1F6K0
— Oli Franklin-Wallis (@olifranklin) October 30, 2024
Of course, it being Tony Blair, not all interpretations were particularly sympathetic. For example …
Mass murderer stops for light hearted jape in the middle of committing genocide https://t.co/XpRWrw4b6H
— Fionn Viteža (@fionnviteza) October 29, 2024
Ann Howarth‘s curiosity was piqued.
This is quite amusing, but will we ever find out what Blair’s written responses were on the Pets at Rest issue and the mange tout from Sierra Leone? https://t.co/9ygtLmm9sG
— Ann Howarth (@AnnLHowarth) October 29, 2024
We don’t know. We’re not trawling through Hansard, but we can confirm that Pets At Rest is still in business. Happy news for sad pet owners.
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Source James Heale Image Screengrab