Brown on the ropes

Today's PMQs show just how much Gordon Brown is on the ropes. For three weeks running David Cameron has plastered GB all around the House.

During DC's first three questions regarding the Government's plans to recoup five percent of schools surpluses, twice GB made reference to the fact that the schools would not have a surplus had it not been for the Government's generosity. How condescending.

Schools are given a budget and (hopefully) try to live in their means, if there are some plans for a big project then they would naturally keep some of the money back each year to plan ahead. But GB thinks he knows better and can take the money back 'for the good of the children' and for who knows what. What are the incentives for schools to plan wisely? None, if this continues we'll see annual deficits in school budgets.

DC's second set of questions were designed to get at GB via Douglas Alexander and the fiasco of this year's Scottish elections. This is Dougie's second public cock-up recently after the failure of GB to call an election. Will a third mistake lead to a resignation? I doubt it. I guess this will be where GB follows in the steps of Tony Blair...

GB was visibly riled by DC's questions and he typically started throwing his notes down on the dispatch box. After accusing DC 'of misleading the house' and being reminded to use 'temperate language' by the Speaker, he gave DC the opportunity to use the line about Brown 'A new kind of politics...a hundred days ago and it feels like a hundred years ago'. At this point the Labour benches were clearly silent, similarly to three weeks ago. If this continues and the polls don't improve, how long before the mutterings begin?

A clear win for DC.

P.S. Is it me or is Vince Cable asking better questions than Ming Campbell?

Squiffy.