PMQs Liveblog: October 27th

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

14.02: Some inside events this afternoon show that Labour’s attack operation is now getting slicker and stronger. Seizing on Ed Miliband’s questioning of Cameron on housing benefit during PMQs, I understand press advisers were within minutes circulating factsheets with quotes to lobby journalists. Forty minutes or so later, Douglas Alexander sent round a press release to journalists, saying Labour is increasing pressure on housing benefit, and hosting a summit with NGOs and other groups tomorrow. At the same time an email was sent to supporters urging them to act, showing that campaigning and press are clearly integrated.

The PMQs may have been a score draw – but Ed and his team are looking to win the war outside the chamber.

12.34: It terms of debating points this was a score draw. Ed Miliband was clearly more confident this week, but he didn’t land the same hits on the PM that he did first time out. However Ed Miliband managed to put pressure on Cameron over housing benefit. As we saw at the end of PMQs there’s disquiet on the government benches over these changes. Ed Miliband could still get his first big win over housing benefit if the government is forced into a u-turn, or loses the vote in the commons.

12.31: Signs of rebellion? Lib Dem MP Bob Russell asks if Cameron will look again at housing benefits. If Cameron is going to stand his ground, he should be wary of the yellows behind him.

12.30: Horrendous barracking of Labour’s Sharon Hodgson MP – it really does seem that women are still given a hard time by the Tories in the chamber.

12.28: David Cameron claims that more money will be spent on school building under the Tories than under Labour – to furious head shaking from Ed Balls.

12.25: Tom Harris asks at what time did the Tories decide to “rewrite history”, after they supported Labour’s spending plans up till 2008. Cameron claims that they realised the siatuation had deteriorated – many would suggest that they saw an opportunity for cuts…

12.23: A question on Gypsy and Traveller sites from the Tory backbenches. Cameron glides past the thrust of the question and talks about planning more generally.

12.20: PMQs certainly feels front-loaded these days without questions from the Lib Dems…

12.18: Paul Goggins MP says that closing child trust funds will remove the possibility of “building up a nestegg” for children in care.

12.16: Eurosceptics from across the house are putting pressure on the PM today over the EU budget – Cameron hits out at Labour MEPs for voting for the budget.

12.15: Cheers from the Tories and a grimace from Nick Clegg as Cameron says “we’re not planning on joining the Euro”.

12.12: David Blunkett asks why Yorkshire doesn’t have control over its own budget like Scotland does – is this the beginning of a campaign for a Yorkshire parliament?

12.10: Ed Miliband refers to Simon Hughes and Nick Clegg as “Glum and Glummer”, and that it’s no wonder Nick Clegg is back on the fags. Cameron responds to Ed Miliband’s strong line by reading out lines from a Labour memo on PMQs preparation. Does that suggest he’s rattled…

12.05: Cameron says that the government wishes to get people back to work – Ed Miliband wants to know how many people will lose their homes as a result of this policy? Cameron says there is no reason why anyone should be left without a home.

12.03: The early skirmishes between Cameron and Miliband focus on benefits. Ed Miliband presses Cameron on housing benefit cuts, and asks if he will change his plans. Cameron is evasive – and the Labour backbenchers are determined to get him to answer. Cameron digs in and says they will stick by their plans. Ed Miliband asks how these people should make ends meet.

11.54: Ed Miliband’s third PMQs today. Conventional wisdom says he’s won one and lost one so far. This time he’ll be hoping to get back to the confident performance he showed in his first outing. The reality of the CSR cuts has sunk in now – so expect Ed to ask questions about the specific nature of the cuts, and what they’ll do to the squeezed middle…