Blair 'stuck in the past'

2005-12-07 18:48

London - The youthful new leader of Britain's opposition Conservatives has locked parliamentary horns with Prime Minister Tony Blair, accusing Blair of being "stuck in the past".

David Cameron struck a conciliatory tone in his first face-to-face oratorical showdown with Blair in the prime minister's weekly question period in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

Cameron was declared the new Tory leader on Tuesday.

At 39, he promises to be the upstart that Blair, now 52, was when he became Labour Party leader in 1994.

Despite the less confrontational style, Cameron could not resist a dig at Blair when he overstepped the mark and asked a question back: "It's only our first exchange and already the prime minister is asking me the questions.

"This approach is stuck in the past and I want to talk about the future. He was the future, once."

For his second batch of questions, later in the half-hour session, Cameron turned to the environment, not a often highlighted topic his right-of-centre party.

Blair joined in the new, less confrontational style somewhat belatedly: "I should have welcomed him to his new position and congratulated him."

"We wouldn't want that to break up the new consensus."

Prime minister's questions, as it is formally known, is usually more reminiscent of a football match than political debate, with cheering and jeering in the debating chamber.

The opposing sides sit two swords' lengths apart - a legacy from the past times - ensuring the gentlemanly exchanges did not descend into bloodshed.

- AFP