Peter Hoskin

PMQs live blog | 3 November 2010

VERDICT: Perhaps the snappiest exchange between Cameron and Miliband so far, with both men on combative form. Miliband’s charge was that, from tuition fees to child benefit, the coalition is breaking promises that it made before the election. And Cameron’s counter was that he has had to take tough action to deal with the mess that Labour left behind, and that Ed Miliband has nothing to offer to that process other than kneejerk opposition. As exchanges across the dispatch box go, that’s pretty standard stuff – but at least it was packaged with some wit (although little real insight) today. A score draw.

1232: And that’s it. My short verdict coming up.

1230:
Stephen McCabe quips about prisoners voting for the new elected police commissioners, but Cameron suggests that this is yet another example for why “[giving the vote to prisoners] is such a bad idea.”

1229: Cameron: “It makes me ‘physically ill’ that prisoners will have the right to vote.”

1228:
Another exchange which is becoming more an more common. Labour MP (in this case, Dennis Skinner): why don’t you take on the bankers? Cameron: we’ve introduced a bank levy, which is more than Labour managed in 13 years.

1227: Cameron refers to the NHS ringfence in response to a Labour attack on the health service: “you should have a word with your own shadow health secretary.”

1225:
Cheer ‘n’ jeers as Lindsay Roy says that Cameron “unfairly” blames the actions of the last government for the measures he has to take now. But then a strange question: what is the PM’s biggest mistake? Cameron declines to answer.

1223: Labour’s Chris Ruane asks why the government is planning to reduce the number of elected MPs, while adding to the number of unelected members of the Lords.

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