Prime Minister's Questions is officially 50 years old this week. Microphones were allowed in to the chamber in the late 1970s and cameras arrived in 1989, so Democracy Live marks the anniversary with a selection of recordings from PMQs past. PM Thatcher dismisses Labour as 'frit' Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. A relatively humdrum Commons exchange on inflation descended into chaos as deputy Labour leader Denis Healey advises Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to "cut and run". The intervention prompted a rare loss of composure from Mrs Thatcher, who accused Mr Healey of being "frightened!" and, more colloquially, "frit!" of the prospect of an election. Thatcher on the ropes Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement Just before this clip starts, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had defended her decision to push ahead with the poll tax, a flat-rate tax which would be levied on every adult in the UK. There was widespread opposition to the plan and days after this exchange riots broke out in central London. Kinnock pays tribute to outgoing PM Thatcher Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement On the day that Margaret Thatcher announced her decision to resign as prime minister, opposition leader Neil Kinnock paid tribute to his long-standing political adversary. PM Major faces Blair onslaught Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement Then opposition leader, Tony Blair took up a recurring theme at prime minister's questions, accusing Prime Minister John Major of weak leadership. Major defiant after resignation Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement After announcing his resignation as party leader, telling his mutinous backbenchers to "put up or shut up", and being re-elected as leader by a chastened Conservative party, Mr Major was on fighting form at this Commons clash with Mr Blair. Blair's bombardment resumes Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement But Mr Blair soon found new ammunition, taunting the PM over how divisive Europe had become for Conservatives. Cameron undermines PM Blair Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement Mr Blair's opponents rarely managed to land a blow on the PM at his weekly Commons question session. But here he faces the newly elected opposition leader, David Cameron. Blair bows out Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement The chamber was packed full with MPs wanting to be a part of history as Mr Blair stood at the despatch box for the last time as prime minister. PM Brown lampooned Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement Lib Dem acting leader Vince Cable proved to be one of the most effective critics of Gordon Brown, Mr Blair's successor as PM. A tough prime minister's questions for Mr Brown got worse when Mr Cable unleashed the one-liner that would haunt the former chancellor. Brown under pressure Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement But Mr Cameron was also confident he could score points from the PM, here taking Mr Brown to task for publicly declaring that he would not have called an early general election even if the polls had showed his party could win with a 100 seat majority.



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