Iain Dale congratulates David Cameron

Anthony Barnett (London, OK): Is Iain Dale losing it already? No, I'm not talking about the fact that it took him until 7.30pm to pick up a 6.58 pm story from Nigel Fletcher headed "Exclusive" but which OK's Guy Aitchison had already blogged at 6.18. I'm referring to his pompous congratulations to the Tory party leader encouraging his massed ranks to stand and applaud Tony Blair at the end of his last Prime Minister's Question Time: "Well done to David Cameron for encouraging Tory MPs to join Labour MPs in a standing ovation. He was right to do so". No, Iain, Cameron was wrong to do so. It shows he does not have the steel of opposition. Blair had just let it be known that he thought PM's questions were "bollocks". He has no time for the House of Commons. There should have been a quiet Tory fury at his undermining of Parliament. Instead, they clapped. By doing so they unified the Commons and helped along its transition from the cockpit of sovereignty into a theatre for tourists. A ten year performance that has left everyone in public life tainted and demeaned deserved a dignified silence. By giving the old entertainer an 'unprededented' two minute clap they made themselves his chorus.