David Cameron walks out of Parliament after being quized by Ed Balls on 50p tax rate

Immediately after Prime Minister's Question time on 18/04/2012, Ed Balls used a Point of Order to further question PM David Cameron on the 50p rate. After hanging back to hear the question, the PM leaves the chamber without saying a word.
If you watched on the Daily Politics or pre-recorded on the iPlayer (as most would), you will have missed this - which in my opinion is probably part of the reason why Dave chose not to answer the question.
Recorded off the iplayer using Camstudio.

[@GoldenSovereign-n1u]

When there's too many people in one spot, the game's lagging

[@Eleglas]

A tip to everyone: Never watch Prime Minister's Questions, or you'll end up hooked on it like me. I find myself rushing to get home on a Wednesday before 12 to catch it. I've ever recorded it a few time. I am so dull.

[@Fleeb-pb7zo]

Omg, do u still watch it, I watch it every Wednesday and feel the same atm

[@hjhaddow990]

i bet labour would never have the 'balls' to restore the 83p top rate from before thatcher

[@williammoody3696]

certainly hope not. it would destroy the economy.

[@andrewszlamp5203]

william moody Yeah, Truman's America had a 90% rate, and we all know how shit that was!

[@Anon54387]

***** Actually, it was a drain on the economy. Eisenhower and JFK worked it down to a reasonable peacetime level, LBJ undid some of the progress, Jimmy Carter undid most of the rest of the progress, Reagan undid the damage again. Then Bush and Clinton spent 12 years in the White House and it was one record tax increase after another for 12 FREAKING YEARS. Now, they say that Gen X has built less wealth than prior generations. No kidding, since so much is taxed away. Now Obamacare is doing even more of it. The 2.3% medical device tax is killing things. For instance, the company for which I worked had it's profit cut from $110 million to $55 million due to this tax. This is because it is 2.3% of revenue not profit. 12% of this company was laid off, thousands of workers, over this tax. Other companies in the same and related fields went from turning a profit to a loss over this tax, so the company I worked for is comparatively lucky. Those of us who were laid off from good paying jobs are not, though. On top of it, they are talking of increasing the capital gains rate to 28%. This government is so greedy for our money.

[@JosephBrooke1]

Ed Balls

[@clypt.]

It's all just a game to these people. Snakes, cheats, liars. And we all just jump along for the ride. Something has to change soon.

[@wjumeau]

Yep, and we are told to pay tax for this complete farce...

[@JoelJoel321]

And Ed Balls gets his ass handed to him by Bercow.

[@mhl8396]

+JoelJoel321 And the electorate in the end.

[@xiazner]

Yup, he blatantly violated parliamentary procedure, which was why David didn't answer, because if he did he would ALSO have violated that procedure.

[@1chish]

Speaker Bercow, just for once, actually put Ed Balls in his place with a very well crafted response. In other words by saying 'I am sure he wouldn't use.......' he was actually saying 'I know he was....' Cameron isn't obliged to stay after PMQs and probably had far better things to do than listen to Ed Ballsup making an arse of himself. Remember Labour put up this tax from 45p to 50p 34 days before the last election having been in power after 4,711 days. A hypocrite and a liar is our Mr Balls.

[@MrPhllo]

Taxes should be spent in this country not on foreign wars

[@justarandomguy8989]

no you're right: rich people should get everything, poor people should get nothing - that's progress

[@mikolio1]

You have to wonder how these men and women have got to where they are? They seem to have no idea of what is genuinely best for the country

[@dpoppop6091]

Speaker of the house there demonstrating what we all already knew about politicians - that they all know their own wrongdoings, but because its you, old boy, it can't be bad. No punishment.

[@michaelevans1191]

tied down to vested interests then your threats to take your capital and leave the country would be swiftly met by a confiscation order. one can only dream unfortunately.

[@Dead_in__side__]

The most unfortunate name in UK politics.

[@InstTaxSolutionsLLC]

This video shows how points of order can affect the proceedings of parliament.

[@ShoeMage]

I disagree. Taxes should be taken as a percentage of your income (of course, with exceptions to extenuating circumstances like the amount of children you have, etc. etc.), but the people who earn a hell of a lot aren't being taxed enough, which means they keep a hell of a lot of their money which isn't being pooled back into the economy. The rich stay rich, and the poor get poorer. It's a sad state we're in.

[@Thatcheriteme]

If a company is privatized, anyone in this country can buy shares in it. No one is stopping you investing as a member of the public where you can gain the rewards of profit. You talk about big corporations. Tell me, do these coporations provide jobs to the people of the UK? As for the `Public purse were it belongs`, wheres the difference in morality where the government takes from that purse, gives public money to poor countries, which then falls in the arms of dictators to buy weapons?

[@boo453]

he's in charge of looking after the mps, who act like school children. therefore he has to treat them as such

[@Thatcheriteme]

I have no problem whatsoever providing for people who are genuine care of need. However, explain me this: My uncle is a paranoid schizophrenic, but still able bodied. Yet he gets his rent paid and 600 every fortnight....Yet works on the side. Or my supervisor whos on 30000 a year. But because he has a genetic disorder which could come in the near future. He gets a free car, taxed and insured.Even the toll for the bridge is paid for. Yet we have OAPs who cannot pay their gas bill who are left.

[@michaelevans1191]

just to be clear - i would not favour a dictatorship. i believe trotsky was right when he asserted that democracy is essential if socialism is to sustain itself. we need people to be educated enough to see the ills of neo liberal capitalism and bring in a socialist government by democratic means. this will be no easy task when you consider the scale of the vested interests in politics at this time.

[@Eleglas]

Err depends. I don't think all are biased. As odd as it seems, I think the BBC is actually very impartial. I think this because you sometimes get the opposition saying they're too biased to the Government, and sometimes the Government will say they're too biased to the opposition. So that tells me that neither like them, making more impartial. Just my opinion.

[@2490debrick]

Best thing we can do as a people is just vote purely for the no namers who are new to politics and have no ties with anyone else!

[@SempiternalScientist]

Wealth is an indicator of social worth. Anyone with a high salary is being rewarded by the demand of consumers(such as your own) within society for their skill, thus demonstrating that they are strong and intelligent men to begin with! Any time you use a bank, pay a lawyer or buy some refreshing soda drink, you are saying 'I value the minds which created this or produced this service, and will make them rich for their labors!' Society exists, but it is tailored to serve strength, not weakness.

[@autofreak7]

So it is true, Ed Balls is the most annoying man in politics!

[@Luckasaurus]

You can't actually record anything with a potato. Such a thing is impossible to do.

[@H4NDCRAFTED]

Lol how did you record this , its like 1 frame per hour.

[@3chel3]

On your last point I agree I feel that 24 hr news has pushed politicians into a corner on presentation/sounds bites. Clear principles become almost irrelevant, shallow presentation everything Brown was a serious, rather dark faced individual, errors yes but he was a politician in an old style Advised to smile more he bizarrely started to smile at the wrong times on live TV which made him a bit comical Would we have a coalition government if Clegg hadn't been on the TV debates in 2010 ?

[@TheDavey92]

David Cameron left cause its easier for him to do so. He don't answer to the price of milk . If he can't answer that then maybe something like this is a little difficult for him.

[@hydroknight01]

Shares benefit only those who can afford to take the risk of owning them; they don't help everyone. They inspire personal greed. As for greedy governments, there's one in office right now; giving to the rich by taking from the poor - and punishing them for being poor. If you wish to continue this debate, I invite you to personal-message me, so as not to clutter this discussion any further with pointless back-and-forth.

[@SempiternalScientist]

Bioshock is based on Ayn Rand's 'Atlas shrugged' in whcih she stipulates the entirety of her ideology on how the only good the individual can ever do with reasonable confidence and certainty is serving self-interest. If a book can explore the concepts and ideas behind her moral objectvism, why not a videogame which exudes equal depth and analysis in portraying the ideology?

[@devon896]

So what the title should actually be is Ed Balls uses point of order to trip up David Cameron.

[@DavidAndrewsPEC]

"We need Ed Miliband as prime minister!" Er... no, we fucking don't!!!!!

[@wilsonfisk6626]

@@asrielwilde3591 Chaos with Ed Miliband

[@livvyisawsum]

That John Bercow person is so strange. From what I can see he mocks people and says order?

[@TallSilentGuy]

I gave up watching after seeing the tie the Speaker was wearing.

[@TheUrbanGrinder]

these debates look like they would actually be fun

[@TheRedemption77]

the real government you don`t see

[@b69nn]

hard-working citizens and rich dont always equate to the same thing. There are hundreds of hard working people in the uk (care-workers , nursery-nurses , ect) who work long hours for terrible money who help this country to tick over but prehaps dont pay as much tax as some professionals wy should they be less represented. also its such a backwards thing to say rich should be represented more than the poor

[@BarryVP12]

Foreign wars? What wars are waged against oneself? Apart from civil wars :P

[@playthegamelike]

the speaker is on the right side.

[@underwaterbubbles]

Its just like being back at school.

[@Eleglas]

Lol no, I definitely don't believe any of the big 3 parties are working for the public. There are some obviously who are working for the public, but I don't think any of them are the forerunners of these parties; MPs like Dennis Skinner, but I do disagree with him on some matters, the Monarchy for one.

[@Robinfuk]

Was this recorded on a potato?

[@Mavermick1]

Good one - why not just say "sorry, but the quality of the video is lacking" - instead of this overused "joke" that I must have read at least 1,000 times?

[@capanon6848]

thats because behind closed doors there is no ooposition anymore all 3 main parties are cuddling up in bed together, if you still think any of the main parties are out for the public you are hugely mistaken they are out to line their pockets and their master they serve

[@ShoeMage]

Unfortunately, life doesn't always work out how we plan. People who earn more should pay more taxes, and people who earn less should pay less taxes.

[@CapitalBhoy78]

Cameron the clock is ticking...

[@GreenerHill]

Cameron's front benchers looked mortified as he stormed out! Shame the bastards don't look mortified more often.

[@iamdabossofnepal]

"The rich stay rich, and the poor get poorer. It's a sad state we're in." Yes, it is - but remind me again what kind of policies are in use? They are the very same policies you suggest, i hope you know that. The rich still get richer, and the poor poorer no matter how much you tax them, and it is because of this: taking from the rich and giving to the poor does not increase their wealth. The increase in wealth has to be created, not forced - and that, as usual, is achieved through enterprise.

[@1chish]

David Cameron isn't a Jew let alone a Zionist. Not sure quite what a bloke's religion has to do with his worth as a politician. Oh and Disraeli, one of the greatest PMs of all time was Jewish so your point is exactly?

[@vidiveniviciDCLXVI]

Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition.

[@Robinfuk]

Because that would suck

[@iamdabossofnepal]

"the people who earn a hell of a lot aren't being taxed enough, which means they keep a hell of a lot of their money which isn't being pooled back into the economy" No, they store their money in banks - that money gets borrowed + circulated. They also spend it and expand business and reinvest - all +ve for economy. And another thing, money stored is better than money mismanaged - mismanaged govt money always comes from ppl but stored/owned money has better chances of being spent carefully.

[@stringer-ik1pc]

He managed to say a full sentence without stuttering.

[@ravenundergroundtv]

Who, might I ask, are you implying is the master?

[@michaelevans1191]

more altruistic intentions. ie. better working conditions for the employees. although this doesn't seem like a better result for you and the directors it would certainly be a better result for society in general as workers would be happier, have more purchasing power - which in turn would promote growth, inequality and unemployment would be significantly reduced. your self appointed role as a "job creator" is overstated too often. it is a fallacy. if we had people in government who were not ...

[@BryanJamesScott89]

Who the fuck is this Mr Speaker and why does everyone jump to order when he speaks.

[@Leebo9372]

Hence why the british political system is unique :P I dont think in many other parliaments people could shout as much as they want. :D An old tradition still in ours, and in the scottish 'Parliament' (If you can call it that) where people hit the tables as much as they can instead of shouting :P

[@Hellsconsort]

Well put.

[@3chel3]

OK We agree about one thing.

[@sxuu]

How Biased of the speaker to back the tories!

[@DavidAndrewsPEC]

I'd be surprised if it was just the one thing we agree on, actually... My feeling is that - with the advent of career politicians (as in those who do it for career reasons and not out of a sense of duty to serve) - I'm nto sure that there's many choices for a prime minister anymore that would be sensible. The Milibands are not exactly guys we could rely on. Remember Dennis Skinner? Much maligned man - he is a 'duty' man: I'd feel I could trust him. He is a committed man.

[@livvyisawsum]

Good point :) I always thought the mps would act more professionally considering they're running the country but it turns out I was wrong!

[@TomDaMooseUK]

Were you born in Prussia by any chance?

[@ohhhhcheese]

The correct past tense of hang (regarding to gallows) is hanged. Look it up.

[@michaelevans1191]

neo liberal system and the current economic climate) then i propose that your threats to leave the country should be taken seriously and confiscation orders produced. again it isn't what *i* say is the right thing to do - it is what is completely obvious is the right thing to do.

[@DavidAndrewsPEC]

I have a telegram from the Baboonian Embassy here in Kotka, Finland. Your apology has been accepted and no more need be said on the matter ;)

[@tadhg3]

I dont understand what happened here?

[@chbbmdt4429]

Balls was being a nob trying to continue the debate when the time was up and it was finished. Cameron leaves and Bercow sarcastically rips Ed Balls about trying to keep the debate going and being a dick.

[@jasoncooper1189]

+Charles Hancocks fuckoff

[@daveduuggsy]

*before being quizzed

[@hydroknight01]

Now, you wait just a bloody minute. If you've got a problem with your uncle's choices, I'd remind you that he's *your* uncle, and *your* problem. Don't come bitching to me and demanding an explanation for a situation that's none of my business. If you don't like what he's doing, you've got a voice; I suggest putting it to more productive use than picking petty arguments on the internet. End of discussion. Good day, and goodbye.

[@boratsagdiyev8709]

Ed Balls.

[@boratsagdiyev8709]

I'm Ed Balls, and I find this Ed Balls.

[@Thatcheriteme]

Get over yourself. How does pointing out a statistical fact in anyway give you the right to form an opinion of how i feel about disabled? I thought you had the intelligence to read between the lines of the point i was trying to make. In order to manipulate the unemployment figures, G.Brown broadened the term `Incapacity benefit` to include drug addicts, alcoholics, people with mild arthritis. In doing so he created a NEW client base who would always vote for him.

[@GreenerHill]

Not good enough, Mr Cronyist "I Want To Be Popular" Cameron. Weak, weak response.

[@3chel3]

I agree.

[@Jononutoob]

What a joke of a government.

[@guitari666]

Did you have to go and shit on all the people earning less than £150,000?

[@CaWFly]

The Houses of P"icks

[@Hellsconsort]

WoW! You criminally oversimplify there! There are plenty of intelligent people screwed over by circumstances of capitalism. How many supermarket chains or equivalent scale businesses out compete smaller businesses through simply having more workforce to out compete or capital to back them? I hate capitalism but I'm certainly not saying 'I value the minds...etc' as you state. I just don't have an alternative. It's dehumanising What about hereditary capital? That says nowt inherant on social value

[@capanon6848]

Who has the Money? there you will find their Master(s)

[@Robinfuk]

That's offensive

[@capanon6848]

yeah i like Dennis Skinner (down to earth and says it like it is)

[@timnesbitt249]

No way PM storms out of pmq's in a huff,can he do that,it just confirms though this man isn't a leader,he just knee-jerk reacts always

[@Aelbereth]

Yeah! And lets bring back the hanging, drawing and quartering punishment! In the good old days so there was discipline and order and everything was fantastic, right? Seriously, you woke up after a long sleep in the presence or what? A very very long sleep. You must have slept for 300 years. flabbergasting

[@KelticWoman1]

Sorry but just had to say thanks - best laugh I've had all day nice one.

[@DavidAndrewsPEC]

Heh - Brown ... I think Frankie Boyle's analysis of him was pretty accurate ... and the smiling thing - totally messed up. Sadly, Brown was too New Labour to be any good :/

[@PureAwesamness]

Ha-Hey! It's my favourite pantomime!

[@boo453]

eh? I left that bit in

[@MrPhllo]

MilIIband already gets ED

[@boratsagdiyev8709]

Ed Mauls

[@studyforwasted]

Nope, hung.

[@ballochdubh]

What a state my countrys in? Think its time we got a coloured leader with some inititive and common sense.

[@DavidAndrewsPEC]

How in the name of buggery did your comment get 'too many negative votes'? Oh - wait ... too many people don't like what it says, even if it's true! My only criticism of the comment is the 'baboon' bit: nasty as they can be, they'd never do what Cameron did and divide a nation so fully. ;)

[@RobinGething]

if this is government then WWF wrestling is a sport.

[@paulgriffiths9211]

53 insults and growing. politics is the spore. elections are the infection. political debate is what kills you. strange bedfellows indeed. democracy doesn't work, I don't have a better idea, but it doesn't work. k? k.

[@brianstirland4585]

just like Cameron the sake he is can't stand the truth

[@tridentmusic5570]

Got to give it to Bercow, he's a gem as speaker...........

[@hydroknight01]

Then why bother to reply to my comment in the first place? Go on - shove off, 'cause I'm in no mood to hear your monotone Tory drivel, either.

[@neily1010]

not many like ed balls ,i like him he takes the piss out of cameron lol

[@MrPhllo]

Me mam wanted me

[@DavidAndrewsPEC]

;)