A low-key PMQs this week – here’s our take:
Who Won?
No Overall Winner
It’s difficult to draw a clear winner from Harman and Cameron’s discourse – both stuck to their lines well, effectively cancelling each other out. We can be more confident however in concluding that the SNP came out with a loss. With Robertson et al. increasingly using the platform to focus on Scottish matters (an issue that receives little sympathy from the rest of the House) they will find it steadily more difficult to secure ‘victories’.
Best Question
Harriet Harman: Won’t cutting tax credits make children worse off?
It was a characteristically unflashy performance from Harman, but her questions on tax credits cuts shone light on the fact that the Tories are still struggling to find a coherent answer on in-work poverty. Labour may have found an effective stick with which to beat the Government in weeks to come.
Best Joke of the Week
David Cameron: Addressing Robertson’s accusations that the Scotland Bill does not deliver on the Smith Commission plans. Cameron hit back arguing that it does and if the SNP want full fiscal autonomy, they should say so, before declaring that the SNP’s Full fiscal autonomy has now become FFS – full fiscal shambles…
Issue of the Week
Tax Credit Cuts
Harman kicked off the session with questions on immigration and border controls, but it quickly became clear that the issue of tax credit cuts was going to be her ammunition with which to challenge the Prime Minister.
Corporate Name Checks
Eurostar and Eurotunnel (in reference to yesterday’s Channel Tunnel disruptions).
Sum it up in 140 Characters
#PMQs verdict: No clear winner between Cons/Lab, but loss for SNP. Tax credit cuts key theme. In-work poverty a key issue in coming weeks?
