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PMQs - The verdict
Daniel Forman
The first prime minister's questions since the summer recess, the conference season, the attempted coup against Tony Blair, the airline terror threat, the latest revelations in the foreign prisoners fiasco, the latest NHS debt figures and more - all this gave David Cameron so much ammunition he was spraying it around with abandon.
And, within the Commons chamber at least, quite a lot of it appeared to hit his targets, the two men sat stony faced in front of him: Blair and Gordon Brown.
It had started badly for Blair before the Tory leader even got to his feet. First up was Labour's Michael Jabez Foster, asking what was supposed to be a helpful question on the NHS.
Conservative MPs began a chorus of cries of "cuts", which Foster, deliberately or not, misheard. "No buts," he countered as he continued his eulogy of the government's health record.
What he didn't think through was the next part of his question, on how local campaigners can challenge "bureaucratic" decisions. For the Opposition benches that was as good as a "but" and Blair was already on the back foot.
At which point Cameron got going, making a mockery of the prime minister's Monday night call for Labour MPs to get "stuck in" to the Tories.
"There we have it," he began. "No buts, just cuts."
And so it went on. First on transferring prisoners to open jails where they are at risk of absconding, he wondered: "Whatever happened to 'tough on crime'?"
On foreign prisoners being "bribed" to leave the country, he added: "Whatever happened to 'automatic deportation'?"
On those health service "cuts" he asked: "Is this still the 'best year ever for the NHS'?"
Having taken him to task on policy, he then went for the jugular on personality.
On Blair's longevity, Cameron taunted him that "I know you've only got a few more goes".
On Brown's plan for an independent NHS board, he joked: "I know the prime minister and chancellor don't talk any more but if he reads the newspapers he might find out what he thinks."
Cameron's efforts to make health a 'Conservative issue' may be audacious, but he also pointed to the polling evidence that must have ministers tearing their hair out after all the billions spent: "No wonder Labour isn't trusted any more with the NHS."
As if that wasn't enough he fired off a couple more rounds on neighbourly relations in Downing Street, pressing Blair for a "straight" answer from a "pretty straight sort of guy". "Does he back the chancellor as his successor?" he asked. "I do, do you?"
Blair did his best to hit back on the policy points, charging Cameron that "if he wants to be taken seriously as a leader" he needs to "get serious on substance".
But he was conspicuously silent on the succession and even got ticked off by the Speaker for "going on too much about the Conservative campaign document" on the NHS.
And he shot himself in the foot with a slip of the tongue, replacing foreign prisoners with "foreign secretaries". Margaret Beckett managed to laugh, but not as much as the Tories did.
Blair simply held his hands up and admitted there is "not much come back after that one". And on that at least he was right.
After all that 'Punch and Judy' politics (Whatever happened to Cameron's pledge to scrap that?) Sir Menzies Campbell, for once without notes, managed to strike the kind of tone of gravitas that suits him best.
His question on what happens if the latest Northern Ireland deal deadline is not met was topical and pertinent enough for Blair not be able to answer it, although he did admit that the talks starting tonight were a "one off opportunity".
And with that, a few laughs at Hull's "eat well, do well" campaign (it is the home of the portly John Prescott) Blair was off to St Andrews. Sorting out the Ulster peace process for once might feel like a welcome relief.
The verdict
Blair: 4/10 - Will be hoping it wasn't as bad on TV.
Cameron: 8/10 - Convincingly won the battle to set the Westminster mood.
Campbell: 7/10 - Serious tone contrasted well with Cameron.
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Published: Wed, 11 Oct 2006 15:07:28 GMT+01
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