PMQs review: the problem for Miliband is that the numbers are moving in Cameron’s favour

In politics, trajectory is everything. The return of growth and falling unemployment means that Miliband now struggles to discomfort the PM.

By George Eaton

So long as growth was falling and unemployment was rising, Ed Miliband could comfortably secure victory at PMQs by declaring that David Cameron had failed on the economy. The problem for Miliband and Labour is that the numbers are now moving in the right direction. Economically speaking, there may be little difference between a growing economy and a stagnant one, but politically speaking, there is all the difference in the world.

As a result, it has become much harder for Miliband to discomfort Cameron. Today’s session was a wounding one for the Labour leader, with the PM landing blow after blow and Miliband falling back on the old charge of “complacency”. Cameron replied, rather effectively, that “real complacency is promising to end boom and bust”. Later, Miliband declared that it was George Osborne who “choked off the recovery” in 2010 but if a week is a long time in politics, that is now ancient history.

Miliband went on to point out that wages had fallen in real terms for 38 of the 39 months that Cameron had been Prime Minister (the one exception being April 2013 when deferred bonuses were paid out to benefit from the cut in the top rate of tax). But the problem for him is that he has yet to clearly explain how Labour would improve living standards. Cameron was able to quote Alistair Darling’s remark that he was “waiting to hear” what the party had to say on the economy. The other danger for Labour is that is now not inconceivable that wages could move decisively ahead of prices before the election.

While at times veering into Flashman mode, Cameron’s one-liners meant he had the Tory backbenches behind him today. He declared that Miliband’s speeches were “so poor” that “it’s hard to know when he’s finished” and concluded (in reference to the TUC): “he promised us Raging Bull, he gave us Chicken Run” (a prize to whichever Tory scripted that).

Miliband’s strongest moment came when he referenced Michael Gove’s comments on foodbanks (“It’s often as a result of some decisions that have been taken by those families which mean that they are not best able to manage their finances.”) and asked the coalition frontbench: “have you ever tried living on £150 a week?” But it says much about Cameron’s increased confidence, that he didn’t even break a sweat.