Ed the shark bites back

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

I’m usually against question splitting at PMQs. Often it means that the opposition leader fails to land significant blows on either topic, but sometimes – and this was such an occasion – it is a tactic which can be deployed with powerfully and usefully.

It was obvious that Miliband would lead with Cameron’s comments on the military. The Prime Minister’s astonishing show of disrespect yesterday has only made his “tricky” relationship with the military even harder to handle. Ed’s questions were sober, sensible and entirely predictable. But they’re keep the story running for another day – and that’s crucial.

There was some clear discomfort from the government benches who felt they could not heckle or jeer as Miliband made Cameron squirm, yet they felt no such aversion to jeering when Ed Miliband rose again to question Cameron on rape suspects and the DNA database – another shocking show of disrespect from the Tory benches after their jeering of cancer patients last week. Ed Miliband and I part ways on this issue (no charges = innocent, so why punish someone by retaining their DNA?), but it was a brutally effective sledgehammer blow to Cameron’s knees, sending him lurching desperately towards the home secretary to ask what on earth his policy is. Cameron doesn’t do detail. And he’s beginning to be shown up for it.

So a clear Miliband victory today, with Cameron left wriggling like a worm on the hook over two of his greatest weaknesses – the military and crime. Those would be two grave weaknesses for any PM – and yet they are incredibly dangerous for a Tory PM with Lib Dem tendencies and a grumpy right flank.

In his desperation to claim something of note, he even shamefully tried to ignore a question in order to shoehorn in his pre-planned line on Labour’s proposed VAT cut. True to form, the PM lashed out at the shadow chancellor like he always does when he’s losing. Today that meant the sight of a Tory attacking Labour for suggesting a tax cut. These are indeed curious times.

And as Cameron sat down, admonished by the speaker for his blatant question avoidance, the camera flashed across Ed Miliband’s face. And though he was trying not to smile, his big, round eyes gave his true feeling away. He knew he’d won.

And that’s two in a row for Ed the shark.