PMQs Verdict: Corbyn shows his passion for housing, despite his relaxed approach

Jeremy Corbyn cares about housing. This is obvious. But does he care much about PMQs?

At his first meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) as leader, he told MPs that housing would be one of his biggest priorities. Shortly after that, he made the Shadow Housing minister a Shadow Cabinet role, and in John Healey appointed a well-respected figure across the party to the brief. Only last week, the party launched a review, the biggest of its kind in years, into the fall in home ownership.

Today was not the first time he has devoted all his energy, and questions, to housing at PMQs – he did the same thing just a few weeks ago. Then, as today, the Government were facing a huge walkout of junior doctors on strike, and Jeremy Hunt must have felt a sense of relief that it did not warrant a mention from the Leader of the Opposition.

There are other topics that could have got an airing, and that Cameron will surely have anticipated. Despite wearing a badge declaring his love for trade unions (for HeartUnions week), and a recently leaked letter revealing the Tories expect to be defeated on some areas of the legislation, there was no mention of the Trade Union Bill.

With debate about borders currently dominating the EU referendum, it may have been wise to raise the ongoing refugee crisis – and maybe even recent developments in Syria, where President Assad’s position appears more secure.

My understanding is that while Ed Miliband would begin preparing for PMQs on a Monday, with his team plotting out where Cameron is weak, and where they might be vulnerable to attack, Corbyn is much more blasé it all. He is known not to devote much time to it until Wednesday mornings, and the sessions focus on producing questions, rather than working out what the PM might say and building responses.

This was evident today; his offensive on social housing is not the first time Cameron has appeared successful in associating Corbyn with perceived failures of the New Labour Government. For someone with Corbyn’s past voting record, it is surprisingly effective.

Corbyn may well have concluded that PMQs, while an important pantomime fixture for those inside the ‘Westminster Bubble’, does not have the impact some imagine. Often, it feels like little more than an exercise in morale-boosting for backbenchers. The rows of stony-faced Labour MPs behind Corbyn every week suggest there is little he could do to cheer them up anyway.

There are, of course, some fans of his sanguine approach: whispers suggest that Miliband is quietly impressed with Corbyn’s performances at the despatch box.