PMQs verdict – Ed Miliband and the agony of choice

Well he can’t say we didn’t warn him…

Today Ed Miliband was a victim of the agony of choice. Any other week the decision on what to whack the PM with wouldn’t have been a serious question. The problem was it still wasn’t a serious question today – the economy is the issue that can kill this government outright, Hunt and Murdoch can only cripple them.

As I argued this morning, the media needs no excuse to talk about itself – focussing on Hunt and Leveson at PMQs (with 4 out of 6 questions), was a misfire. Sure it got Cameron shouting and yelling on a day when he should have been contrite. Sure it got the PM to lash himself to the Culture Secretary in a way that will be embarrassing if/when he goes.

But the economy is so bad it doesn’t need explaining.

Everyone knows what a recession is. Not everyone know what a Leveson is.

The economy has double-dipped for the first time in nearly 40 years and Cameron had barely begun to squirm before we dropped it. Ed Miliband might never get that chance again. The Leveson enquiry will rumble on and likely uncover further misdeeds. The Hunt questions will rattle on as long as he refuses to resign. They should have been left to backbenchers. Instead those same backbenchers were left asking questions about the economy. There were two open goals today. Ed had Cameron in trouble on Leveson, but he totally flunked it on the economy.

What a dreadful waste.

What a dreadful shame.

The local elections are only a week away.

People vote with their wallets.

Can we have some focus?

Please?