PMQs liveblog: January 19th

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

Verdict: Another week, another PMQs, another score draw. Although this time the draw came about through out of sorts performances from the two main protagonists, neither of whom performed well, and neither of who could land a winning blow.

Something important that Ed Miliband should take from today’s performance is that splitting his questions doesn’t work. It simply means that he doesn’t put any sustained pressure on the PM with his first batch, and then has to wait quietly for a few minutes before he comes back with his second set. In the meantime, the PM has an opportunity to build up a head of steam. The strategy doesn’t work, and should be dropped.

The problem that Ed faced today – and what presumably caused the split questions strategy – was the sheer wealth of material that he had at his disposal. His lines on the economy were fine, but this is rocky terrain for Labour – economic credibility may take more than a single parliament to win back.

Miliband was much stronger on the NHS, and managed to box to PM in with his first question – will NHS reforms cause longer waiting lists? Cameron’s response was a floundering, faltering mess. Even by his usual question-avoidance standards he was poor. His failure to say no, surely means yes. The success of today’s PMQs in the long run will be how well and for how long Miliband can hammer the PM on that point.

A serial failing of the Labour leader in these exchanges has been his inability to finish Cameron off. Today he had Cameron on the ropes with his first NHS question – subsequent questions felt like repeats of the first. He needed something more to leave the PM out cold. He needs to add that ability to his armoury fast – his opponent certainly doesn’t lack that killer instinct.

Today though Cameron was a mess. As in recent weeks, he looked riled almost immediately (perhaps the stress is getting to him?). He voice was hoarse by the end, starting with a shout and becoming almost a strangled yell as the questions rained down on him.

What Miliband needs to do next week is get Cameron to charge at him with that anger and malice and leave himself exposed – but instead of being comfortable boxing him into a corner, he needs to deliver a knock out punch.

12.31: So a fiery PMQs, dominated by Cameron’s angry shouting and failure to answer questions comes to an end – stay tuned for my full verdict in the next half an hour.

12.29: Loan sharking mentioned at PMQs – Stella Creasy will be pleased.

12.26: The mood had calmed somewhat at PMQs – but it has just got hot again, as Tory Tony Baldry attacks “filibusters” in the House of Lords. Cameron doesn’t seem to understand PMQs though, he asks Ed Miliband a question…

12.18: Cameron is riled over NHS reforms, he sounds hoarse after shouting for the past 10 minutes. We know the NHS is important to him – evidently he doesn’t enjoy this criticism. To paraphrase a previous Tory leader – the loud, arrogant shouting man is turning up the volume…

12.16: Cameron says we need to help disabled people who can’t get around. Didn’t he cut their mobility allowance?

12.14: Cameron says Miliband is using “feeble, pre-scripted lines” – the Labour benches are in uproar. That’s supreme hypocrisy from the PM.

12.12: Cheek from Cameron – he says it’s Tory investment vs Labour cuts. He also says we won;t be able to get waiting times down unless we cut bureaucracy – how does that work? And how will we know how long the waiting lists are? Maybe some volunteers will work it out – that’s the big society…

12.11: Is Cameron’s failure to promise that waiting times won’t rise a tacit admission that they will? Cameron is flapping here.

12.09: Ed Miliband is back again – and it’s the NHS. He asks if NHS waiting times will rise under Cameron’s NHS plans. Cameron doesn’t answer. Again. He says “we want NHS waiting times to come down”. Who doesn’t? That’s not an answer.

12.06: A big “oooooh” for Chris Bryant, as he reveals he’s come into possession of a leaked report on police cuts. Cameron responds with a mention of Bryant’s poetry – and says if he asks a question he should listen to the answer. Frankly, Cameron has given precious few answers to questions in his time as PM.

12.04: Cameron says too many of the jobs were “make work” jobs in the private sector. The next question doesn’t come from Miliband. He’s splitting his questions again, this mightn’t be the best tactic – it really didn’t work last time.

12.02: Miliband starts with the unemployment rise, in the same sober style he began with last week. Rising for his second question he attacks Cameron’s “complacency” after 60,000 people lose their jobs. He also calls for bringing back the future jobs fund.

12.00: A stumbling question from a Lib Dem to kick off, and he leads off with concerns over NHS reform.

Preview: Another week, another PMQs, and there are plenty of topics for Ed Miliband to question the PM over this week. There will be protests raging outside parliament this afternoon over the abolition of EMA – so Miliband might take one or two questions on that as an easy attack on Cameron – especially as he said he had no plans to remove the allowance just a year ago.

Economic competence is an area in which the Tories currently have a significant polling advantage over Labour. This week it has been revealed that unemployment and the cost of living are both rising. Miliband and his team know that economic credibility is vital – so expect him to attack Cameron over the impact of his cuts on the economy, as well as the untold damage caused by the VAT hike.

Then there’s the NHS reforms. The Tories said there would be no “top-down restructuring” of the NHS, but that’s exactly what we have. Can Ed find a way to make this a big issue?

As for Cameron, we can obviously expect any economic problems to be laid squarely on Labour’s doorstep. However he’ll have another weapon this week – expect him to attack Labour’s peers “dragging their heels” over the reduction of seats in the Commons. Is it “cutting the cost of politics” or “gerrymandering”? Expect that battle to be fought today.