The Waugh Room

Wednesday 7th September 2011 | 13:02

Calm Down Dear Mk II?

Labour has spotted an opportunity in the way the PM dealt, or rather didn't deal, with Nadine Dorries' curveball on the way the Lib Dems have been dominating Coalition policy.

A senior source tells me: "It's Calm Down Dear all over again. The Government's record towards women is extremely poor. The Prime MInister's personal attitude is also deeply questionable."

The PM's line that "I know the Honourable Lady is very frustrated..." prompted guffaws among male MPs. For those who were baffled by this, it is perhaps worth explaining that men the House have long made gags about her sex life.

David Cameron probably made a verbal slip up (No.10 sources insist he intended no innuendo and he was referring to her frustraton with the Coalition), but he clearly joined in the laughter. When Dorries realised what was going on, she was obviously furious and left the chamber pretty soon after (though that may have been to prep for her amendment).

The PM may come to regret the offhand way he dealt with one of his more independent minded backbenchers. When he sees the tape again, he may conclude he should have recovered quickly from the guffaws and then treated the question with a tad more seriousness.

Then again, he may not. Everyone who knows the PM knows he has a fruity sense of humour and like Blair often makes very blue gags in private.

It's not just Cameron either. Late last night, George Osborne accepted his GQ Politician of the Year award with a few risque remarks of his own. The Chancellor said that the politics page of the magazine was probably one of the few that wasn't stuck together, adding in a few masturbation gags for good measure.

Maybe Labour will now get Harriet Harman or Yvette Cooper to stand up for Nadine Dorries' right not to be subjected to sexist remarks in the House. Something like 'We disagree with her politics, but believe she was today mistreated by the PM etc etc..'?

If they did, they'd have to explain why it was male Labour MPs who joined in the laughter just as loudly as their Tory colleagues.

 

UPDATE: As for Ms Dorries' abortion amendment, looks like she is not without support in Cabinet. She lost by 250 votes overall, 118 to 368.

But I can reveal that 3 Cabinet ministers defied the PM: Fox, IDS and Owen Paterson. Other ministers included Grayling, Hayes, Miller, Crabbe, Bellingham, Howarth. Backers of the amendment say that 118 votes is far from a defeat.

Backbenchers included Brady, Pritchard, Whittingdale, Swayne - and Vaz.

 

FURTHER UPDATE: I know Cameron is often shot at by both sides but the reaction to this whole incident has been revealing.

I tweeted within seconds that the PM should have stopped himself and answered the Q and in the Lobby huddle afterwards asked the PM's team about the perception of sexism. As I explained above, Labour were also quick out of the traps to call it a Calm Down Dear moment.

Yet the Right has been very vocal too. Harry Cole has condemned it as "a ghastly display of sexism, immaturity and arrogance rolled into one". Nick Watt cites a Tory attacking it as fresh example of "Bullingdon" bullying. The Speccie's James Forsyth and ConHome's Paul Goodman were also unamused.

Not a great day's work on the women's vote for the PM.