PMQs report: Brown gets away with it

It’s unfair to say Brown “won” PMQs because Cameron decided not to play. There was a distinct air of national crisis to PMQs which, of course, helps Gordon Brown. Few amongst us would be so bold as to think the taxpayer will see this £50 billion again, but David Cameron was not going to point this out. His problem through all of this is an inability to say what he’d do differently. The rating of leaders rises during wartime, fear heightens collectivist instincts so this all benefits Brown. His mission is to talk up this idea of an economic war – but at the moment he doesn’t need much help. Funny that the US Congress was in revolt over the Paulson bailout plan – taxpayers’ money bailing out bankers etc –  but hardly a peep from our lot.

Cameron ran the other way, speaking like a Labour backbencher asking him if he agrees that the banking system cannot be allowed to fail.