Commentators expected questions on the steel industry, following the announcement of the loss of 1,200 jobs from steel plants in Scunthorpe, as well as on the Government’s controversial reform of tax credits and, less controversially, Back to the Future Day. Nobody left empty-handed.
.@LadPolitics what odds will you give me on somebody mentioning #BackToTheFutureDay during today's #PMQs?
— Hugo Legh (@hugolegh) October 21, 2015
Jeremy Corbyn began his questions to the Prime Minister by quoting Conservative back-bencher Hedi Allan, who yesterday called on the Government to rethink its stance on reducing tax credits.
Corbyn then reverted to his 'crowdsourcing' appraoch to PMQs with a second question on tax credits, this time trying to attack the Conservatives on its traditional turf of supporting small business owners.
Corbyn: tax credit changes will damage the potential growth of small businesses #PMQs
— Bellenden (@BellendenLtd) October 21, 2015
Then came Corbyn's question on the steel indusrty in the wake of job losses announced by Tata Steel.
Unsurprisingly Corbyn focuses on the relatively easy wins of tax credits and the steel industry #PMQs
— BM Public Affairs (@BMPubAffairs) October 21, 2015
The speaker was then forced to intervene after the Labour back-bencher Tom Blenkinsop erupted with anger at David Cameron's response to a question on energy costs.
PM says govt is helping with energy costs. @TomBlenkinsop erupts with frustration. Speaker: 'calm yourself or take a sedative' #PMQs
— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) October 21, 2015
Journalists continued to gently mock Corbyn's archetypal geography teacher approach to PMQs.
I'm waiting. I've got all day. The bell's there for me not you. I'll keep you during lunch break #PMQs https://t.co/QsT85aLDe5
— Matt Chorley (@MattChorley) October 21, 2015
And public affairs specialists agreed that while this was probably his best performace at PMQs so far, Corbyn failed to damage Cameron despite the obvious opportunities.
Even with the relative open goals of tax credits and steel industry, Corbyn still unable to land any body blows on Cameron #PMQs
— BM Public Affairs (@BMPubAffairs) October 21, 2015
Solid performance from Corbyn but Labour leader failed to land any significant blows on the Prime Minister #PMQs
— Bellenden (@BellendenLtd) October 21, 2015
It was time for Cameron to get some of his digs in and he made reference to Back To The Future Day by telling Corbyn his backbenchers wished he would get in a DeLorean, travel back to 1985 and stay there.
And there's the #BackToTheFutureDay mention #PMQs
— BM Public Affairs (@BMPubAffairs) October 21, 2015
At least Ladbrokes was happy.
@hugolegh BANG! We dodged a bullet there.
— Ladbrokes Politics (@LadPolitics) October 21, 2015
