PMQs verdict: Corbyn fired up by social justice but let down by scattergun style

More Tory injustices, yes. More words? Not necessarily. That was the problem for Jeremy Corbyn today as he tried to cram in a raft of questions on the government’s array of failures with the Budget due to be delivered a week today.

Corbyn ranged and raged over a series of topics to illustrate the crumbling social fabric of Britain – police station closures, universal credit, schools, the NHS and the installation of sprinklers in council homes following the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

It was a compelling list that could easily have filled a state of the nation address, a party conference speech or a rabble-rousing address at one of the crowded rallies that he so loves. In the short, punchy format of prime minister’s questions, however, it left him looking like he lacked focus.

Yes, Corbyn is correct in the critique that Tory cuts have weakened our public services, inflicted greater hardship on individuals in the welfare system and put lives at risk for people in some of the poorest estates in the country.

He struggled, however, to land these points in a session that proved easier for Theresa May than she might have feared. This is, after all, a prime minister without a majority in parliament, widespread backing in her cabinet, a plan for Brexit – or much else.

May’s hesitations at PMQs are becoming the stuff of legend but today she looked relaxed as Corbyn roved around from subject to subject.

Corbyn kicked off by saying that “crime is up” and called for more funding for the police. He has a point, particularly on the scourge of violent crime, but May claimed crime is down by a third since 2010. This home secretary-turned-PM is at home trading stats on law and disorder.

The Labour leader moved onto the imminent closure of the police station in Uxbridge, where the local MP, someone called Boris Johnson, has been tweeting how he is “mystified and disappointed” at the impact of austerity.

It’s a classic PMQs tactic to take the words of a cabinet minister sounding off about the local impact of government policy and repeat it to their boss.

It didn’t quite come off for Corbyn, however, as his opponent laughed and responded by saying that he “might not have noticed that the police and crime commissioner in London was the mayor”.

Sadiq Khan is Labour, she added, “but not Labour enough for him”.

Boom-boom. Mildly funny but for a PM whose leaden lines have seen her dubbed the Maybot then this must rank as a classic.

And so it went on. Recounting all six Q&As from two such unshowy performers would try the patience of most readers but Corbyn did have a decent argument to make around universal credit.

He had obtained a copy of one of the eviction notices apparently sent by GAP Property, a lettings agent, to hundreds of families in north east Lincolnshire, which he said had been prompted by the firm’s fears that a chaotic roll out of the benefit would lead to a spike in rent arrears.

Is it right to “put thousands of families through Christmas in the trauma of knowing they are about to be evicted?”, Corbyn asked.

In response May rolled out the stats – or perhaps we should say, her stats – about a fall in the number of people in arrears and then lobbed in a boomerang about Corbyn’s habit of brandishing letters at PMQs. Last time he quoted from a voter’s missive she asked him to send her a copy – and failed to do so, she claimed.

Of course, that doesn’t sound a zinger when put down on paper but in the Commons chamber it buoyed the troops sitting behind May. Their cricket-loving leader was also served up some lollipop bowling when Corbyn seemed to stumble over his words and described the Tories as “the opposition”, that is to him. May shot back: “He has got something right today – we are the government, and he is the opposition.”

The Tories cheered. May crowed. She knows she has had a better Wednesday – and my goodness, she needed it.

Corbyn picked the right subjects but seemed to have a month’s worth of questions rammed into his 15-minute slot. Much of his material seemed designed to press home his core arguments before spreadsheet Phil gives another gloomy forecast this time next week but, as such, it meant the Labour leader couldn’t really capitalise on the sprawling array of difficulties facing May.

This was – again – one of the longest PMQs sessions on record. Next week, with the Budget looming and hopefully fewer words to deploy, Corbyn must concentrate his argument on just one or two of the Tories’ terrible policies.