In the final PMQs of this session, David Cameron scored his most comprehensive victory. Challenged by Ed Miliband to rule out raising VAT, Cameron got to his feet and simply said ‘yes’. At that point, Miliband’s fox was shot. Cameron then moved from defence to attack, repeatedly challenging Miliband to rule out an increase in National Insurance contributions something that Miliband was not prepared to do. By the end of the exchanges, the Labour benches looked glum and the Tory ones jubilant.
In truth, the Labour leader had been set up. The Tories had been planning to rule out raising VAT for some time and had been busy calculating when doing so would have the maximum political impact. At the Treasury Select Committee yesterday, George Osborne repeatedly stalled when challenged to rule out a VAT rise in the hope that this would tempt Miliband into asking about it today. Miliband duly did so, and Cameron then delivered the blow that he had spent the morning practising.
PMQs rarely matters that much in the grand scheme of things. But with today’s session, Cameron has addressed a potential Tory vulnerability and put Labour on the back foot on the question of whether they are going to raise tax.
Unless Labour move quickly to rule out raising National Insurance, the Tories will have a chance to brand them as tax risers. For those on the Tory side who hope that this campaign will be like 1992 all over again, today is a very encouraging day.
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