Watching prime minister's question time I was reminded of the previous night's Barcelona v Chelsea Champion's League match, in which the referee lost control of a bad-tempered game between over-paid prima donnas.

Having allowed an identical question three weeks previously, Speaker Michael Martin decided he was not going to let David Cameron repeat his enquiry about the chancellor's next job.

Cameron began: "Back in January the prime minister said 'I am absolutely happy that Gordon Brown will be my successor', now does the prime..." But the Tory leader got no further, because Martin intervened - saying that who will be next leader of the Labour Party was a matter for the party and not a fit subject for PMQs.

But Cameron could have been referring to Blair's successor as head of the government, not necessarily of the party.

There was fury on the Tory benches, not least from Paul Goodman who looked as if he was going to explode, while Tory chief whip Patrick McLoughlin was apoplectic with rage.

It was the Commons equivalent of footballers surrounding the ref after he's awarded a questionable penalty, and Martin responded with a yellow card: "Don't keep interrupting me or I'll suspend this sitting."

Having taken the advice of William Hague, an anorak when it comes to parliamentary procedure, David Cameron stood up to Martin as if the speaker was a dim history master: "Are you honestly saying we cannot ask the prime minister..." Again he got no further as Martin, who took this to be a slur on his integrity, intervened and said: "Anything I say from this chair is said honestly."

Order was only restored when Martin accepted the (barely different) form of words from Cameron, who asked: "Who would the prime minister like to see as the next prime minister?"

Brown's possible leadership rival John Reid tried to give the PM his own form of words for the answer: "The leader of the Labour Party," bellowed the home secretary, possibly trying to ensure that Blair gave himself enough wiggle room to back any bid Reid launches to succeed him.

Instead Blair opted for the safer option of effusively praising Brown as a chancellor whose record was a better recommendation for the top job "than having spent some time advising Norman Lamont on Black Wednesday."

Having given an opportunity for Reid to express his ambitions at the expense of the chancellor, Cameron had earlier given the home secretary the chance to laugh at Brown.

With disgruntled NHS workers demonstrating outside Cameron had sought to exploit government difficulties over what was their trump card.

The Tory leader said: "Sir Derek Wanless told the chancellor the money could have been better spent, and we've now got an account of how the conversation actually went: 'Sir Derek said to the chancellor: "Your policies since 1997 have made it worse." There was then an uncomfortable silence - Brown was no longer interested in the conversation.' Does that sound at all familiar to the prime minister?"

Reid, in particular, thought that this was hilarious, clearly recognising the chancellor's particular form of engagement.

Cameron clearly believes that, despite a doubling of funding since 1997, he can present himself as the saviour of the health service.

Labour backbenchers can hardly believe his gall, and cheered Blair's list of advances made under his government. But perceptions appear to be shifting and Cameron used the chance to score another goal.

The prime minister wanted to take his opposite number's own health policies apart but Martin stopped him, showing that the referee's decisions don't always go one way.

Later Sir Menzies Campbell asked about the possibility of an inquiry into the Iraq war and the fact that the defence secretary had failed to sing from the government hymn sheet by saying that there would be such an investigation.

The prime minister's official spokesman had insisted this had been a "slip of the tongue", something Des Browne conceded shortly afterwards.

The Lib Dem leader can take the high ground on this issue as at least his party has been consistent in a way the official opposition have not.

The Verdict

Tony Blair - 7/10 - Having survived the Iraq investigation vote, Blair dealt competently with health questions with the Speaker's interventions helping and hindering him in equal measure.

David Cameron - 7/10 - Nearly thrown by Michael Martin's decision to disallow his question about the Brown succession, he had more luck with the NHS "crisis".

Sir Menzies Campbell - 7/10 - Iraq is undeniably the key issue of the day - but the Lib Dem leader is going to have to ask about domestic matters at some point.