What do you think of Miliband's Public PMQs idea

[Jeneral2885]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28509014

1) Who decides which member of the public will attend? Will the number of people and type of represent the whole of the UK (UK minus Scotland)?

2) Who decides who is to ask first and last? The Speaker? Govt/Oppo?

3) How long--PMQs half hour. Public PMQs wont evne work if its even 1 hour long.

4) Discipline--rowdy like HOC or military like?

5) Speaker--why should he govern the proceeding if its a public PMQs? Then who?

6) Questions--all topics under the sun? Won't that repeat the topics in PMQs?

7) Parliamentary format one Q one A?

8) Then what is the purpose of HOC PMQs?

9) Why just ask the PM, not Miniters?

10) How will this improve govt/UK?

[T_i_B]

1. Gimmicky...

...and likely to be every bit as stage managed as PMQ's is now.

[Jeneral2885]

3. Urm

How is PMQs stage managed? At least the Speaker pushes for all sides to be heard. It may not represent all views but that is the time constraints unless you want the government to forget all domestic and foreign issues for many hours to have all MPs ask questions.

[T_i_B]

5. Are questions "planted" by the whips?

And how many of these questions are nothing more then puerile petty point scoring?

[Jeneral2885]

6. I don't think so

The speaker and his committee choses who is to ask the first question and subseuqent questions. MPs from all sides are give a chance to ask. It is usually MP from ruling party-MP from Oppo. Under the Coalition, it is Con-Labour-Lib Dem in that sequence. Even without a coalition govt, it is ruling party MP-oppo MP--Lib Dem MP in that order.

Read around.

[T_i_B]

7. I very much do think so

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/a-z_of_parliament/p-q/82556.stm

Government backbenchers can normally be relied upon to ask "helpful" questions, often planted by the Whips, which will allow the prime minister to tell the House about successful government policies.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/05/stage-managed-pmqs-problems-deeper-david-cameron

David Cameron has been attempting to stage-manage prime minister's questions, according to a report today. Leaked documents show that Gavin Williamson, the prime minister's parliamentary private secretary, has been sending a circular email around his backbenchers at about 11am every Wednesday, with a list of suggested "free hits" they could ask at midday.

The revelation comes shortly after John Bercow, the speaker, warned that soundbites and planted questions have helped to damage the reputation of parliament in the eyes of the public.

[LeftishBrit]

2. Not a bad idea, but not a panacea or one of the most important issues of our time

I agree with (9); people should be able to ask Ministers, not just the PM. They often call the shots, anyway. In the current government, Cameron generally just lets his Ministers, at least the Tory ones, do whatever they wish, while he struts around and looks important without having to do too much actual work.

[Jeneral2885]

4. Well in some sense people can write FOIA

and ask (disclaimer I do). Or just email or social media contact--like almost all govt departments most MPs/Ministers are on social media. And in parliament your MPs can ask Ministers questions you ask them--its all a matter of if they take your Q, and if your get your A from the Minister ic/