The post you are reporting:
courtesy of the independent.
Towards the end of taking 101 questions on his statement on the European Council, David Cameron noticed that Ed Miliband, Douglas Alexander and Ed Balls on the front bench opposite appeared not to be paying full attention to his statesmanlike words:
They're tweeting, blogging and poking for all they're worth, but they still haven't got a policy.*
It was idle knockabout, but raises again the problem of phones and iPads in the Chamber of the House of Commons. It is rude, in real life, when people look at their smartphones during a conversation. The Commons is a bit different, because MPs often chat to each other or do their correspondence during debates, either because they are waiting to be called or because they are required by protocol to occupy their front bench. Such disrespect to the member addressing the Chamber is routine. But technology somehow takes it to a new level.
During Home Office Questions yesterday, Claire Perry. the Conservative MP, said of two of her Labour opponents:
It might be more appropriate for Ms Creasy and Ms De Piero to stop tweeting on the Labour frontbench and start paying attention.
