Prime minister prompts Labour ire with a Winner sexist put-down
The prime minister told a female Labour MP to "calm down, dear". The horror! The sheer, sexist, chauvinistic, patronising effrontery of the man! From Labour's reaction, you would imagine he had told her not to busy her pretty little head with such things. Or had ogled her bosom and said something like, "Cor, wouldn't get many of them to the pound!" Or had accused her of being a paedophile who stole charity boxes from pubs.
Anyhow the Labour party decided that it was the most monstrous thing Cameron had ever said and called for retribution, or failing that, thunderbolts from the skies. The MP in question was Angela Eagle, shadow chief secretary and number two in Labour's Treasury team.
It was a bizarre moment. Ed Miliband had done well in talking about the disappointing growth figures. The economy expanded by a mere 0.5% in the first three months. As it declined by 0.5% in the previous three months, it is flatlining, to use the jargon.
Cameron (the bald patch now seems to have taken up a permanent position on the top right of his scalp) said the numbers showed the economy was thriving. Miliband pointed out that it wasn't. The Labour leader was clearly right (Mr Cameron's position was of a man who has lost one leg by shoving it in a combine harvester, but claims a triumph because he can still hop).
Having scored a good point, one likely to make all the news bulletins, Labour – you might think – would have let it lie.
But they didn't. Mr Miliband raised the question of spending on the NHS. The government might claim to be spending more money, but most of that was going on unnecessary reforms.
The prime minister decided to quote Howard Stoate, a GP and former Labour MP who is, we are told, in favour of the reorganisation.
The Labour frontbench barracked. Cameron: "He is now a GP. Calm down, listen to the doctor, calm down! 'My discussions with fellow GPs' – calm down! – 'reveal overwhelming enthusiasm'," he said, quoting Dr Stoate.
The barracking continued. "I said, 'calm down!'"
At this point he turned towards Ms Eagle and added – this was the crucial moment – "calm down, dear, and I will say it to the shadow chancellor if he likes."
The noise grew horribly. Mr Cameron again quoted Dr Stoate.
Ed Balls, a man whose tender sensibilities towards all female persons is a byword, shouted "apologise to her!"
The prime minister: "I am not going to apologise; you do need to calm down!"
And that was it – the greatest political insult since the King of France sent tennis balls to Henry V.
What seems to have got lost is that Cameron was quoting the Michael Winner advert on TV. Mr Winner is indeed patronising. But that is the joke in the ad. And Cameron has used the same gag before.
Also, there is a long tradition of people jokily quoting TV ads, such as Budweiser's "Wassup?' He might have asked about Labour's record on the NHS and sung "Go compare!" Racist anti-Italian bastard.