PMQs - Cameron nails Brown on 'boom and bust'

PMQs is definitely becoming a bit samey of late.

Cameron accuses the Prime Minister of hubris, shows up Brown's character flaw of being unable to give straightforward, honest answers, says the PM is the "achieve nothing" Prime Minister, and blames him for taking the British economy down the toilet and thus has a great deal of responsibility for the recession.

Brown, on the other hand, tries his best not to answer questions, tries to answer questions with a question, says the recession is absolutely nothing to do with him, it is a global recession that comes from America, says he is taking action which is being globally co-ordinated in contrast to Cameron who is the "do nothing" leader of the opposition who is isolated in his approach to the economy.

Today, the two leaders' exchanges at PMQs followed a similar format. The economy is undoubtedly the most important story but the exchanges are really starting to come across as "we've heard it all before."

Cameron and Brown exchanged blows about the newly released 'Green Budget from the respected fiscal think tank, the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS). Cameron highlighted the part from the report about there being a £20bn hole in the government's finances given its widely optimistic growth forecasts which have failed to materialise. Brown replied with his bit of the report which seemed to back up his argument that without a fiscal stimulus the recession would be longer and deeper. A score draw on that one.

But Cameron definitely scored a goal against Brown when he mocked the Prime Minister for saying what we are now experiencing was the "birth pangs of a new global order." Cameron attacked his comments as "crass and insensitive" for those losing their jobs and said that it showed "he cares more about grandstanding than people losing their jobs." Cameron also claimed that far from "the difficult birth-pangs of a new global order" it was the PM who was in the "death throes of a failed premiership."

It was truly amazing when Brown made those comments the other day though we know why: the Left mistakenly thinks that this recession will herald in a new golden age for them, undermining the primacy of the free market. I would argue that Brown had that in mind when he used the phrase and as usual, Mr Non-Empathy didn't realise how insensitive his comments were. It is also ridiculous as Brown and New Labour have cosied up to the City and the financial industry more than most - eager for the tax revenue on profits to pay for their bloated state sector and social engineering programmes. By the way, say hi to your old mate Fred Goodwin (RBS) for me, will you Gordon?

But the most effective part of Cameron's exchanges with Brown i thought were on the issue of 'boom and bust'. Now it must be said that Cameron has gone on this many times before trying to get the PM to admit we are in a bust and that it was enormous hubris on Brown's part to say he had abolished it, and he has not been succesful in getting an admission from Brown who simply ignores the question.

Today was no different in the respect that Brown still refused to admit the obvious. But Cameron was the most successful he has been at this as this time he made a concerted effort and i would contend successfully nailed the PM on the issue by using Brown's own words against himself. It was pretty effective.

Cameron began by asking the PM were we in an economic bust? Now we are in a recession, one might have thought Brown would have answered yes but he refused to answer.

Cameron then said Brown seemed to be ignoring the fact there's a recession and attacked him for being "extraordinarily complacent." Cameron then produced a definition of a bust which Brown himself had given to the Treasury Select Committee not so long ago. Brown had agreed with the Committee that a bust could be defined as a "1.5% slump" in the economy. Cameron again gave Brown the opportunity to admit that he didn't abolish boom and bust but again the Prime Minister ignored the question.

A forensic Cameron then moved on to what counted as a 'boom and bust'. Thankfully, the very helpful Prime Minister had also unknowingly provided Cameron with another definition at the same Treasury Select Committee. Brown had defined 'boom and bust' as: "running a policy where you allow the economy to grow too fast and then it sinks far farther than it has in other countries, even when there is a world downturn." A killer quote and one that Brown had no response to so instead gave his standard global recession answer.

A bust is a shrinkage of the economy by 1.5 percent. Check - we've had one of those when the ONS released the economic figures last Friday, so we must be in a bust.

And a 'boom and bust' is when the economy grows too fast and then it sinks far farther than it has in other countries, even when there is a world downturn. Check - The European Commission and IMF have both said the economy will be longer and deeper in the UK than in other developed world economies.

Game, set and match to Cameron. He had nailed Brown with his own words.

The fact that Brown refuses to admit what is so obvious to us all, even if his own definitions are used, makes him look out of touch, unwilling to give it straight and be honest with people.

Some might be bored and wish that Cameron goes on other matters but when he is faced with a Prime Minister who simply refuses to answer the questions put to him, the second best option is to undermine Brown's credibility and make him look the fool he is.

Cameron even told Brown during the exchange that he was damaging himself - to no avail - and quoted an anonymous Labour adviser who said the other day that it was not in Brown’s character to “do a mea culpa” but that he would have to find a way to accept some responsibility. Cameron said: "Why doesn't he find the words now?" (He got in a bit of trouble with the Speaker afterwards as he said "You didn't abolish boom and bust did you?" The Speaker reprimanded the Leader of the Opposition for referring to the PM as 'you' which is against the rules).

The only other thing to note about PMQs was Nick Clegg's bizarre question. Clegg asked whether it was right that some members of the Upper House can use their position as non doms to avoid paying taxes? The PM just stood up and said "Of course it's not right." It was a strange question because the question seemed targetted more against the Tories than Labour. Clegg has been really underperforming recently. The party is becoming more and more anonymous and he needs to up his game.