PMQs verdict: Thornberry proves that brevity is better – whether demanding answers about Brexit or breakfast

After weeks of dry debate about the meaning of Brexit, some of the fire typical of prime minister’s questions sparked back into life today. The fact that Theresa May was absent, of course, helped revive an occasion that used to be called a weekly joust but has occasionally slowed to more of an arm-wrestle among earnest debaters.

Emily Thornberry, given a new lease of life in Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party, filled in for her absent boss. With the PM in Bahrain then the Opposition leader also stood aside and let his Islington neighbour slug it out with David Lidington.

It had been billed, rather harshly, as the battle of the B-team but Thornberry gave a short and simple lesson in how it should be done. Her questions were short and precise while Lidington, promoted for a day from his role as leader of the House, flanelled in a manner to which he may have become accustomed. Why? His previous job was as minister for Europe under David Cameron.

The EU was the topic again today as – in the aftermath of another May climbdown yesterday on Brexit – Thornberry pressed Lidington on whether the government wants Britain to stay in the customs union. The Tory couldn’t answer this simple opener and retreated to the sanctuary sought by all politicians who don’t know: he promised “clarity” soon. Phew, that clears that up.

Thornberry carried on – and rightly so. It’s enough of an awkward spectacle watching May duck questions over Brexit but when her underlings are sent along, even more wary than the chief of committing themselves, then we all shift in our seat more uneasily.

We need a straightforward answer, demanded Thornberry, before unveiling what she had kept under her sleeve all week. Lidington himself said in February – it now feels a lifetime ago – that “it will all be up in the air” if the Remain camp were to lose. Well, we know what happened in June, so does Lidington still agree with himself, Thornberry asked. He couldn’t answer that one either.

“We face a challenging, wide-ranging negotiation”, he told us.

Oh dear. Lidington tried to whip up some fervour among his own side but Thornberry was ahead. The Tory minister had a pre-packaged line in which he claimed Labour was questioning the result of the referendum. It made the Opposition look like “Mutiny on the Bounty as shot by the Carry on Team”, he roared, with all the passion of a little-known mid-ranking minister who was doing someone else’s job for the day.

Labour’s backbenchers were enjoying it. Sometimes we see them wincing through Corbyn’s questions but today they chuckled along and yelled out “hopeless” at May’s fill-in while Mike Gapes made some digging motions to indicate just where he thought Lidington was heading politically.

Both Thornberry and Lidington had their big wind-ups towards the end but neither quite landed. Thornberry’s had a touch of humour, mocking May with the putdown that “Brexit means Brexit, Brexit means breakfast” but Lidington’s fell flat. His big moment on which of the parties represents working people was interrupted by the Commons speaker, who said he couldn’t hear what was going on.

Overall Thornberry fared well. Her appointment to fill in for Corbyn had not been greeted with universal delight among her colleagues in the PLP, who know she shoots from the hip but worry about the crossfire, but she put on a strong performance today. As a barrister she knows how to ask a question and where to persist if the answer doesn’t arrive.

Lidington, who as Europe minister was known for his relaxed style and friendly manner in the Commons, started nervously but regained some confidence as the session wore on.

It was a very different occasion to that normally delivered by Corbyn and May. The Labour leader’s Commons interventions have got tougher for his counterpart and he is doing more to speak for the whole party – on issues such as Brexit and the NHS – but he still needs to trim his questions if he is to pin down the prime minister and provide a 10-second clip for the evening news.

It is no surprise that Thornberry worked out that brevity is better. Whether asking about Brexit or breakfast, shorter is sweeter.