PMQs liveblog: December 15th

By Mark Ferguson /@markfergusonuk

Verdict: Another good performance from Ed Miliband, following his return to form last week. If he put backbench concerns back in the box last week, then he taped up the box this week, and put those concerns back in the attic where they belong.

The confidence seemed to be there for Ed today. There was little of the hesitation or bowing to the jeers from the Tory benches that has sometimes put him off his stride. He was clearly well prepared, landed some pre-prepared punches over the NHS (Tories can’t be trusted), Cameron and Clegg (pantomime horse), and the PM’s vanity (“He’s good at the broadbrush and he’s good at the airbrush”).

Most importantly though, after some low key rumblings in recent weeks that threatened to derail his leadership, Miliband looked like a leader today – and his MPs looked (and sounded) like he had their full support. Tom Watson gave an insight into the mindset of the PLP today – reminding us that it’s nine years since we saw the unity on Labour benches that we saw over tuition fees – and that sense of unity was borne out as Miliband was echoed by his MPs during his final question. Listing the promises broken by the Tories already, the Labour benches roared “broken” after each one, punctuating Ed’s sentences and putting the wind into his sails. Cameron responded with insults and anger (his trademark), but it’s clear that Ed has the support of the PLP. Now it’s time to secure the support of the country.

12.28: We’re onto EMA again, and Cameron says they’re not “abolishing” EMA but “replacing” it – he also claims that 90% of students who get EMA would have stayed on at school anyway.

12.25: PMQs is fizzling out early again this week. Cameron seems full of adrenaline – presumably still riled by Ed Miliband.

12.20: Ronnie Campbell questions Osborne’s “warchest” that is being built up in time for the next general election – Cameron says it’s “important to get ontop of the deficit”, which didn’t answer the question, of course.

12.15: John McDonnell raises the issue of children of asylum seekers – Cameron promises that this will be dealt with soon.

12.11: Ed builds to a crescendo, and ends 2010 with his best set of sustained attacks yet. As he lists Tory broken promises his backbenchers cry “broken” in unison after each one. Rumours of backbench disquiet dispelled?

12.09: Miliband says that the Tories can’t be trusted on the NHS, before moving on to EMA. He’s had a few good lines this week, and wheels out another – calling Nick Clegg the back of a pantomime horse. Miliband says he knows Cameron doesn’t speak to students, except those in China.

12.06: Miliband returns with the same line of attack and reminds Cameron of his airbrushed posters – “He’s good at the broadbrush and he’s good at the airbrush” – not the detail though. Miliband seems so much more confident this week.

12.04: Ed Miliband whacks Cameron, reminding him that he is not an innocent bystander on the economy – and urges him to cancel the VAT rise. He also asks if the commitment to raising NHS spending is set to be broken – Cameron says that he is confident that won’t be the case.

12.02: Ed Miliband leads off with the rise in umemployment as expected and asks if he is being overconfident on the economy. Cameron says that he is concerned, but says that the figures are “mixed”.

12.00: And we’re off. Heidi Alexander leads off with council cuts and the impact they will have on the vulnerable. Cameron responds with the pupil premium. Fiesty and loud in the chamber today.

Preview: After a vastly improved performance last week, Ed Miliband will be wanting to push ahead and finish the parliamentary year with another victory over the PM. Today’s news has presented him with a real opening, as unemployment rose by 35,000 in the three months until October. Expect Miliband to come out throwing punches on the economy – but he’ll need to avoid walking into any obvious replies about his time in the Treasury. Ed will need to press home that Labour was right, the private sector isn’t picking up the slack from public sector job cuts, and that a rethink is needed before 500,000 more jobs go.