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Marie from Putney: the woman who wrote Jeremy Corbyn's first PMQ Marie from Putney: the woman who wrote Jeremy Corbyn's first PMQ
(about 3 hours later)
A voter whose question was read by Jeremy Corbyn at his first prime minister’s questions has said she hopes the new Labour leader will bring an end to the “short little sarcastic comments, quips and shouting” of the weekly Commons debate. A voter whose question was read by Jeremy Corbyn at his first prime minister’s questions as leader of the opposition has likened his performance to a “learned professor censuring the younger student”.
Marie, from Putney in south-west London, was one of 40,000 people who submitted questions for Corbyn to ask the prime minister on Wednesday. Marie, from Putney in south-west London, was one of 40,000 people who submitted questions for the Labour leader to ask the prime minister on Wednesday.
Speaking on LBC radio moments after her question on affordable housing was asked, Marie said she joined the Labour party recently hoping that Corbyn would challenge the Tories’ “absolutely shameful” policies. Speaking to the Guardian after her question on affordable housing was asked by Corbyn, Marie revealed that she recently rejoined the Labour party after abandoning it under Tony Blair.
“I wasn’t a member of any political party until Jeremy announced the fact that he was going for the leadership and it looked like he was going to win. And it was at that point that I signed up because I said: here’s a real person … I just felt compelled,” she said. “I was a member of the Labour party many years ago when I was a student at university. And I didn’t agree with the politics of Tony Blair. He was very much more like a Tory than he was a Labour prime minister,” she said.
Marie, a regular LBC caller, said she was impressed with Corbyn’s first prime minister’s questions. “I liked the way he looked at him over the top of his glasses – I thought that worked very well and it was very calm,” she said. “He says that that’s what got him elected and that’s the only way he could get election – well on that basis I’d rather not be elected because it was very much like having the Tories in power having him as prime minister. I didn’t agree with what he did and I couldn’t remain a member of that party.”
“The prime minister has to change his way of doing things to Jeremy Corbyn’s way. Surely that’s a massive mark up for Corbyn to begin with. Marie, who requested that her surname was not published,
“The frontbench of the Conservative party did not look happy bunnies today – they looked as if they’d just been told that they were for the pop. They really didn’t look happy at all and that’s good. I hope that continues every single week.” said she was impressed with Corbyn’s performance. “I thought he was quite censorious of David Cameron in a very calm, collected and quiet way,” she said.
“He sort of looked at him over his glasses – it was like a learned professor censuring the younger student who has perhaps done rather well but is arrogant and doesn’t listen rather well. That’s the way I saw it.”
Admitting that she was taken aback that her question was aired in the Commons, Marie said she was only half-listening when Corbyn read out her name.
“I couldn’t believe it. My mum said, ‘Cor! That’s your question!’ - because I was half-zoned out, not really listening,” she said, adding that she had not been contacted by the Labour party before her question was asked.
“I do think people should take more of an interest and hold the people who represent us to account,” she continued.
“I think that if they [politicians] thought they would be held more to account then they wouldn’t be quite so arrogant in the way that they act. I feel they are very arrogant, the people that represent us in parliament. That includes Labour as well.”
And she dismissed the criticism of Corbyn for standing in silence during the national anthem at a Battle of Britain memorial ceremony on Tuesday. Describing herself as neither a republican or a monarchist, Marie said: “To be frank, I didn’t think it was a big deal whether he sung or didn’t sing. I really think it’s crazy – it’s just trying to make trouble … I think they really ought to leave him alone on that topic because I don’t think he was being disrespectful at all.”
Speaking to LBC’s James O’Brien, Marie said she was frustrated at the government’s “absolutely stupid” policy on housing which, she said, had meant that her surrounding area was becoming dominated with “flats for rich people”.Speaking to LBC’s James O’Brien, Marie said she was frustrated at the government’s “absolutely stupid” policy on housing which, she said, had meant that her surrounding area was becoming dominated with “flats for rich people”.
Related: Jeremy Corbyn puts voters' questions to David Cameron at PMQs - Politics live
And she urged listeners to get more involved in politics, saying: “All I’ll say to people out there is if you don’t care about politics, start thinking about what it actually means for you.
“Start listening to this and taking on board the fact that self-satisfied people sit there every week and make these decisions about your lives.”
Marie said her mother, Brenda, another regular LBC caller, had also joined the Labour party to vote for Corbyn because they felt he was a “real person”.
In February, Marie phoned in to LBC during an interview with former shadow chancellor Ed Balls. During the call, Balls asked her whether she found him attractive, saying: “Privately Marie, just between you and me, with nobody else listening, am I not on the list?”In February, Marie phoned in to LBC during an interview with former shadow chancellor Ed Balls. During the call, Balls asked her whether she found him attractive, saying: “Privately Marie, just between you and me, with nobody else listening, am I not on the list?”
Related: Jeremy Corbyn puts voters' questions to David Cameron at PMQs - Politics live
Marie replied: “No, Ed, I’m sorry. You’re a thoroughly great guy otherwise.”Marie replied: “No, Ed, I’m sorry. You’re a thoroughly great guy otherwise.”
Odds were instantly being offered by trade magazine, Inside Housing, on the identify of “Stephen” from the Housing Association who Corbyn also selected for a question.
The favourite, Stephen Howlett, chief executive of Peabody, with 900 homes in Corbyn’s constituency tweeted: “No, not me.”
The semi-anonymous Stephen wanted to know what Cameron thought about the impact of his rent reduction for HA tenants on the repairs and maintenance budgets. He said his HA was facing 150 redundancies in March.
Only one HA, Gentoo in Sunderland, has so far announced it will be forced to make redundancies but it said none of its staff members were involved in PMQs.
The major housing associations welcomed the spotlight Corbyn had thrown on the issue which will benefit tenants but hit their budgets.
A spokesman for Peabody, one of the country’s largest HAs, said it would knock £42m off its annual budget.