PMQs - The Verdict

Tony Blair was never going to have much fun at his first prime minister's questions since losing the 90 day detention vote but this was probably even tougher than he expected.

His own backbenches hardly rallied to his support and with major internal disagreements over forthcoming welfare and education reforms looming this performance did not bode well for the prime minister.

The Labour MP for Glasgow South East Ian Davidson set the tone by asking a distinctly, if typically, unhelpful question about the EU budget and was roundly cheered by Tory MPs.

Michael Howard then asked when the much delayed incapacity benefit reforms would be published.

"January" was the blunt answer that rather took the wind out of Howard's sails.

But replying to the follow-up Blair could only repeat how the government had inherited a mess from the Tories. Nearly nine years into his own administration this is a difficult argument to sustain. At some point people are going to decide that the government has had enough time to stamp its own authority on the country's institutions.

Howard then asked when the education reforms would come before the Commons, delighting Labour backbenchers who love mimicking the way he says "schooools".

Even for Blair his answer was evasive as he chose to totally ignore what Howard had asked and continued talking welfare.

"We know why the prime minister doesn't want to talk about education, because we know what his backbenchers think," Howard retorted.

As Blair said he was "delighted" to debate the subject Tory MPs pointed to their Labour counterparts and shouted: "With them?"

The Labour benches remained almost silent when normally they would have been expected to offer a robust response.

Receiving no backup from his own side the Speaker intervened to protect Blair from a sustained Opposition barracking.

Howard then tried to twist the Knife. "Let me give the prime minister a piece of advice. He and I are both on are way out. He doesn't have much time left, he shouldn't waste it abusing people who agree with him on this issue he should spend every minute he's got trying to persuade his own backbenchers."

Blair hit back: "Let me give him some advice, when he wins an election, then he can give some advice to someone who has won three."

It made everyone laugh but on reflection it was a "break glass in emergency" response that can only really be used once and reflected that Howard probably had a point.

If Blair hoped for a respite during Charles Kennedy's normally weak interventions then he was to be disappointed again.

Kennedy raised his game and asked a thoughtful and penetrating pair of questions on the Child Support Agency.

It probably helped that Labour backbenchers didn't sabotage the Lib Dem leader's attack, as they normally do, but Blair was forced to concede it was a mess before falling back on the "we inherited it from the Tories" strategy.

At the very end of the session Jim Dobbin asked the prime minister about asbestos waste being transported through his constituency.

Blair flicked through his briefing notes without luck before turning in vain to his colleagues for a tip. "I'm looking around here and not getting a great deal of help," he said.

You said it Tony, and it is not going to get any easier.

The Verdict

Tony Blair: 6/10 - Did his best but looked isolated amid an unhappy and restless parliamentary Labour Party.

Michael Howard: 7/10 - Did well, with help from the members opposite.

Charles Kennedy: 8/10 - Comparatively impressive display landing blows on Child Support Agency chaos.