PMs questions

A rather earnest PMs questions, with most of the questions from MPs focussing on how the credit crunch is going to impact on their constituents.

A recurring them was the issue of energy prices for the vulnerable to which the PM repeated his much favoured winter fuel allowances (probably not needed for those who spend the Summer somewhere warm).

Cameron tried again and again unsucessfully to try to and get GB to admit that he had not abolished boom and bust. I'm not sure what the strategy was here - it wasn't going to work, and Brown managed to weather the storm with one of his lists and even couldn't resist saying that we hadn't got 15% interest rates like in the Tory busts.

The minute Dennis Skinner got up, I knew that Osborne was in for a hit. Previously he had been was the victim of a shot across the bows from Clegg - a reference to the PM being "All at sea" quickly followed by "... but not on a luxury yacht"

Interesting that the Speaker chose Dennis Skinner to ask the PM a question - especially given his previous exocets launched against Osborne.

Skinner directed his main guns at the good ship Osborne, by asking Gordon for a rock solid assurance that whatever he has to do to clear the nation's debt, he would never ever meet a Russian billionaire to cadge the money.

Cameron tried to laugh it off, while Osborne looked as though he may have sprung a leak.

Altogether unsurprising from Skinner. But Gordon Brown responded by saying that it was a very serious matter and that he hoped it would be investigated.

Is there anything actually to investigate on Osborne? I don't think so. No money changed hands. He denies it. I still think that this will blow over and that Osborne will finish repairs to the hull in the next few days.