In the first Prime Minister’s Questions since Sir Keir Starmer announced his resignation, there was an air of tension and the atmosphere had an edge, with the speaker warning the leader of the opposition Kemi Badenoch about her language.
But another exchange stood out – between the New Forest West MP Sir Desmond Swayne and the Prime Minister.
The Conservative MP’s point (and these are his exact words) – “I hope there is still time in which the Prime Minister will be able to enlighten his party as to the moral of the cautionary tale of Jim who ran away from his nurse and was eaten by a lion”
The house erupted in confused laughter – and it felt like it was much needed at that point.
Hang on … Jim, his nurse and the lion?
It is actually a poem from 1907 by Hilaire Belloc, which tells the tale of Jim, who had a lovely life, with friends, tricycles to ride, cakes, jam, “delicious ham” and even a trip to the zoo.
But Jim decides to “run away when he is able” from his nurse and is eaten by a lion.
His mother laments he “would not do as he was told” but it is his father’s cautionary tale to other children which was the moral Sir Desmond alluded to.
“Always keep a-hold of Nurse – for fear of finding something worse”.
Speaking afterwards, Swayne told the BBC, Hilaire Belloc’s cautionary tales were his “favourite reading and a compendium of wisdom”.
In his response, the Prime Minister thanked the Conservative for his “most generous” comment.
He went on to tell a story about when he was on holiday in the New Forest with his family and Sir Desmond leaned through the door of the rental property offering a bottle of champagne and a “welcome to the New Forest”.
Swayne has been an MP since 1997 and this is the eighth Prime Minister he has watched take part in Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons.
According to Hansard, it is the first time Sir Desmond has asked a question of this one and it will almost certainly be the only time.
