PMQs verdict: Miliband drags himself into the mud
It's hard to work out who Ed Miliband was trying to impress today.
He began with a reasonable enough question about Cameron's campaign against cuts to a children centre in his constituency.
"Imagine what he could achieve if he was prime minister" he quipped in what was perhaps his only good moment of the session.
But it all ended there. Rather than devote his questions to the government's cuts to childrens' services, he instead allowed himself to be diverted by Cameron's jibes about co-operative bank chairman Reverend Flowers.
"Let's talk about the people he associates with" Miliband began, before reeling off a long list of Cameron's associates.
All pretence that Miliband was seriously concerned about cuts to childcare was abandoned. Instead he allowed the session to descend into a battle over which of the two men's had worse or better friends.
You're friends with a drug taker claimed Cameron. Oh, well you're friends with a Libor-rigger replied Miliband. Ah, but you think your friend is a nightmare countered Cameron. Oh, but your friend thinks you're a loser replied Miliband.
As serious political debates goes it was about as edifying as a primary school slanging match and only slightly more coherent.
The MPs all enjoyed it of course, slapping each others' backs and writhing about in their seats. At one point their spirits became so uncontrollable that one Labour MP was forced to bash her colleague on the head in order to get him to shut up.
But I do wonder what unfortunate souls who just happen to tune in on a Wednesday afternoon make of it all. If they were looking for insight into the big issues of the day, then this was certainly the wrong place to come.
After what was the umpteenth exchange of insults in the chamber, the session ended with Cameron being asked to apologise for joking that Labour MP Michael Meacher was on drugs.
"I think it's very important we can have a little bit of light-hearted banter and a sense of humour on all sides," replied Cameron.
And so it is. Just apparently not quite as important as giving serious answers to reasonable questions.
All in all this week's PMQs was a pretty low-grade and dirty fight. But Cameron at least appeared prepared to fight it. Miliband did not.
Verdict: Cameron 1, Miliband 0.
