Brown flies to Baghdad, avoiding awkward PMQs on unemployment

Gordon Brown is out of the country - announcing the 'Big Pull Out' in Iraq - as the unemployment total officially tops 1m for the first time since the Major years.

It means Gordon is able to duck out of Prime Minister's Questions today. Instead of David Cameron having the chance to regain the upper hand over the Saviour of the World, the Commons will be treated to some light pre-Christmas knock-about between Punch (William Hague) and Judy (Harriet Harman).

You could almost imagine Brown's closest adviser - Lord Mandelson - saying in anticipation of this historic moment: "I think a nice trip to Iraq is just the ticket!"

Brown could have tacked a trip to Baghdad on to the end of his visit to Afghanistan and Pakistan last week (he has done so before) but clearly wanted the picture op with 'Our Gallant Boys' in Iraq unsullied by the presence of George W, who was in town for his own purposes.

So he flew back to Britain and then flew back again to the Middle East so that he could announce this morning that British troops are to be pulled out of Iraq by next June/July.

It also avoids Brown having to express condolences for the latest soldiers to be killed in action in Afghanistan, which has become a ritual at the start of every session of PMQs.

Instead, Harman will have to explain away the fact that the number claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in November rose 75,700 to 1.07m - the largest rise since March 1991 - while the number out of work is touching 2m, according to figures released this morning.

Brown is expected to make a statement to Parliament on Thursday about the Iraq pull-out, but won't face questions on the soaring unemployment totals until the Commons returns from its Christmas break, which conveniently starts tomorrow and lasts for three weeks.

THE MOLE: JOBLESS FIGURES

FIRST POSTED DECEMBER 17, 2008