PMQs: Cameron picks the wrong fight on eve of Brown’s big summit

Labour MPs are claiming David Cameron is showing signs of being rattled by Gordon Brown's recovery in the polls after he lost his temper at Prime Minister's Question Time.

Brown flies to New York tomorrow morning for a G20 summit of the world's industrialised nations on the global economic crisis and Cameron had intended to prick Brown's bubble over his dire record on the economy at home. With unemployment rising above 1.8 million and an IMF report saying Britain would be hit worse than other countries by recession, Cameron had plenty of ammunition.

But the Tory leader got bogged down in an unseemly squabble across the despatch box protesting that Brown had accused him of playing party politics over the shocking Child P torture case.

Haringey, where the Child P abuse scandal took place, is the same Labour borough where the Victoria Climbie case occurred. Cameron showed a rare flash of anger at the despatch box and allowed himself to be sidetracked.

As a result, an open goal on Labour's economic record went begging and Labour MPs went to lunch well pleased. ''It looked at though Cameron completely lost it,'' one delighted minister told The Mole. "He's obviously rattled. Gordon is showing world leadership on the economy. He's Mr Serious while Cameron looks like Mr Floppy. Gordon is now a real asset.'' Brown stayed in the chamber long enough to see the Labour victor of the Glenrothes by-election sworn in, further lifting Labour spirits.

The Prime Minister will not be meeting Barack Obama on his trip to Washington - the President-elect is avoiding official meetings with international leaders until he officially takes office - but Brown's people make no secret of the fact that he will be enjoying striding around the global platform this weekend.

He will return on Sunday to prepare for the Pre-Budget Report which Alistair Darling, the Chancellor, will deliver on November 24, hoping to set out his roadmap for recovery. The signs are it will be a broad brush statement with no detail filled in. But Brown has given a clear sign that motorists will do well out of the package.

The PM took a swipe at Shadow Chancellor George Osborne's plans for a 'fuel stabiliser' which he claimed would add 5p to a litre of fuel. By mocking Osborne, Brown gave the clearest signal that Darling has ditched his own plans for a tax increase on so-called 'gas-guzzlers' which would have hit millions of motorists with ordinary cars.

Labour's confidence on the economy is adding to the rumbles growing at Westminster suggesting that George Osborne should be replaced by William Hague after criticism from big business about the lack of ambition in Tory thinking about tackling unemployment.

THE MOLE: QUESTION TIME

FIRST POSTED NOVEMBER 12, 2008