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PMQs review: Miliband's winning streak continues

The Labour leader left Michael Gove and Nick Clegg red-faced.

Ed Miliband, one senses, is beginning to relish PMQs. It has become his weekly opportunity to beat up David Cameron over the NHS. For the fourth week in a row, he challenged Cameron's health bill and, for the fourth week in a row, he won. Once again, Cameron mounted a principled defence of competition but struggled when asked to name a major health organisation that supported the bill (he listed four comically obscure groups). It was a crude tactic by Miliband but it worked.

The other high point for the Labour leader was his ad-libbed attack on Nick Clegg. Motioning to the Lib Dem leader, he said that it was impossible to know whether Clegg supported or opposed the bill. When Clegg replied that he did support the bill, Miliband gleefully exclaimed, "he supports it!" It was a fact that Clegg, who has privately complained that he is losing more activists on this issue than he did on tuition fees, does not want his party to be reminded of.

Earlier in the session, for the first time, Miliband asked about the Leveson Inquiry, challenging Cameron to distance himself from Michael Gove's claim that it had had a "chilling" effect on press freedom. Cameron simply replied that the Education Secretary, like the rest of the governent, fully supported the inquiry. On the frontbench, Gove blushed like a scolded child.

In an attempt to redress the damage, Cameron returned to the subject before answering Miliband's next question. At times like this, he said, it was important for politicians to support a "free, vibrant and robust press". A deeply-embarassed Gove nodded in agreement.

11 comments

Peter's picture

Miliband's skewering of Gove was quite masterful and delivered with a subtlety that Cameron is incapable of. This wasn't Ed's most rousing PMQs victory but certainly his most effective.

Olu Ojedokun's picture

It is simply becoming clear that the right wing press and even the Labour supporting ones wrote off Ed Miliband far too early. Those who thought the Tories were going to sleep walk into victory are in for the shock of their lives.

Rosie's picture

Just as I always knew, Ed Miliband has been grossly underestimated. He's tough, he's clever and he's a winner. He came from behind to suddenly win the leadership contest when he was written off. Just one year in to the new government and after losing badly in the general election, Labour were back taking seats in the local elections.
Under his leadership Labour has won several by-elections. The last one was in a marginal seat that the Tories must win if they are to get a majority at the next general election yet Labour increased their majority with a 6% swing to Labour.

Miliband always looks smart, calm and dignified, he doesn't fluster easily, he is decent and has integrity. With each passing day Ed is looking more statesmanlike than Cameron could ever hope to be. Definitely a PM in waiting. (and at long long last an honest one)

DL's picture

I'm concerned that if the NHS issue wasn't here, then Ed would have no ammunition.

nourredine's picture

@DL,
Ah! ah! ah!
You have nothing to say, you are like your name dull.
Ah! ah! ah!
Keep watching PMQ's the best is to come.
Mr Milliband is right to ask Mr Cameron about the NHS until the penny drop has he probably hard of hearing.
At least we know now what Mr Clegg is supporting.
After the NHS, it will be the by election if Mr Hunne is convicted another PMQ's we will be watching and the fight between Lib/Dem and Tories.

Freeman2's picture

Really? writes, '...he does not make any particular proposals and merely opposes the coalition's stance, fine, but what's the alternative Ed?'

Say I come up to you in the street and say I'm going to punch you in the mouth. You say, 'No.' I say, 'You do not make any particular proposal but merely oppose my stance, fine, but what's the alternative?'

DL's picture

@nourredine

You have nothing to say, you are like your name, an anti-bacterial drug for horses. (See how constructive that was? Ah! ah! ah!)

Ed is only winning NHS debates because of the professional bodies that oppose the bill; nothing to do with his own policies or character.

The NHS issue cannot continue long term. The public will get numb to hearing about it, the media will find some other issue that will sell more papers.

Ed needs more irons in the fire, more angles of attack, more definition against the coalition landscape. I really hope he can do better.

Robert Taggart's picture

Pyrrhic victory at best... Red 'stupid boy' Ed will never be taken seriously as a leader. Like 'Billy Boy' Haigh after '97 - the joke be on those who chose such to lead them !
NHS, Nhs, nhs... boring, Boring, BORING !

Hugh Markey's picture

Dave the Tory Destroyer is still leading with his face. Cameron was so dazed by that telegraph pole of a left being meted out by Mr Coolie Cool Bro Ed Milliband that he ran off at the mouth.
Perhaps Dave was a leedle bit punchdrunk but he seemed to list NHS managers as supporting the Tory government's NHS reforms. Qui, we are aware that Cowboy Clegg has wheedled a signature out of some confused senior in the LibDem aristocracy but that is now a matter for BBCs Watchdog the consumers' white knight.
Are these these the same managers who as Tories would have it were running the NHS into the ground whilst at the same time trousering mega-salaries? As a reality and as a prospect, just amazing what awesome redundancy packages and lavish pensions will do to change minds. Not to mention the compensation for working in the NHS
So, let's get this straight, spun or crooked. These same NHS Managers, who according to Cameron and his Conservatives destroyed the NHS despite all the funds pumped in by Labour to build new hospitals, walk-in- centres, polyclinics and other medical structures, not forgetting the countless medical facilities supplied, are now solid supporters of Tory policy on the NHS. Forget the added human capital - the nurses, doctors, surgeons, porters and whatever else.
GedOutaHere!

Really?'s picture

I do not really see these victories that are being reported - I must be watching a different PMQ. Saying the same thing each week regarding the NHS is not a convincing victory; he does not make any particular proposals and merely opposes the coalition's stance, fine, but what's the alternative Ed?

trevor marwood's picture

I will appreciate his winning streak a little more when he starts leading from the front instead of jumping on the biggest longest bandwaggon going.
Thanks to those within the NHS and groups like 38Deg.
When he stands up and states that the all changes will be revoked at no cost to the British Taxpayer ie Nationalise it back !!
Also when he stands up and shows what an enlightened government can do like Danemark can do with regard to the deficit.
Finally remove the man who gave the Tories there punch line for the last 18 months Liam Byrnne a Blairite Tory who everytime he opens his mouth loses Labour 100,000 voters !!

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