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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Cameron v Corbyn PMQs verdict: what was Corbyn's cheeky badge about? | Cameron v Corbyn PMQs verdict: what was Corbyn's cheeky badge about? |
| (7 months later) | |
| Key points | Key points |
| Jeremy Corbyn stuck to one subject this week – housing, prompted by an email from “Rosie”. | Jeremy Corbyn stuck to one subject this week – housing, prompted by an email from “Rosie”. |
| Corbyn attacked Cameron on the Tories’ record on social housing, saying that only one home had been built for every eight sold under his government. | Corbyn attacked Cameron on the Tories’ record on social housing, saying that only one home had been built for every eight sold under his government. |
| He quoted the housing charity Shelter, which estimates 180,000 affordable homes will be lost in coming years. | He quoted the housing charity Shelter, which estimates 180,000 affordable homes will be lost in coming years. |
| Cameron said his government has built more council homes than Labour, and said the Conservatives would ensure two homes were built in London for every one sold. | Cameron said his government has built more council homes than Labour, and said the Conservatives would ensure two homes were built in London for every one sold. |
| The prime minister argued that a strong economy would allow more people to buy their own homes. | The prime minister argued that a strong economy would allow more people to buy their own homes. |
| Snap verdict | Snap verdict |
| The housing crisis, especially in London, probably goes quite some way to explaining why Jeremy Corbyn’s politics are so popular with some young people, but he never quite nailed it in this exchange. | The housing crisis, especially in London, probably goes quite some way to explaining why Jeremy Corbyn’s politics are so popular with some young people, but he never quite nailed it in this exchange. |
| His last two questions were the best, when he forcefully deployed the Shelter figures and allowed himself to sound passionate and angry, and at this point Cameron was on the defence. But, generally, Cameron made a pretty good fist of defending his record. Instead of constantly trying to change the subject to the economy, he engaged properly with Corbyn’s questions. Corbyn’s first, open question allowed Cameron to give a mini-broadcast on his housing policies, and quite cleverly he kept going back to “Rosie” to explain the impact of government initiatives in personalised terms. | His last two questions were the best, when he forcefully deployed the Shelter figures and allowed himself to sound passionate and angry, and at this point Cameron was on the defence. But, generally, Cameron made a pretty good fist of defending his record. Instead of constantly trying to change the subject to the economy, he engaged properly with Corbyn’s questions. Corbyn’s first, open question allowed Cameron to give a mini-broadcast on his housing policies, and quite cleverly he kept going back to “Rosie” to explain the impact of government initiatives in personalised terms. |
| Best lines | Best lines |
| It was a substantive exchange on both sides, without any fireworks. | It was a substantive exchange on both sides, without any fireworks. |
| Cameron’s best line of attack was on Labour’s record: | Cameron’s best line of attack was on Labour’s record: |
| In the last five years we built more council houses than they built in 30 years. Where was he when that was going on? 13 years and an absolutely hopeless record on housing. | In the last five years we built more council houses than they built in 30 years. Where was he when that was going on? 13 years and an absolutely hopeless record on housing. |
| Corbyn was at his best when he was most passionate: | Corbyn was at his best when he was most passionate: |
| Shelter found that six out of 10 renters had problems such as damp, mould and leaking roofs. It’s simply not good enough ... When is the prime minster going to realise that there’s a housing crisis in Britain and his government needs to address it now? | Shelter found that six out of 10 renters had problems such as damp, mould and leaking roofs. It’s simply not good enough ... When is the prime minster going to realise that there’s a housing crisis in Britain and his government needs to address it now? |
| But maybe the best line of all was Corbyn’s badge – worn to mark trade union action week and possibly also as a dig at Jeremy Hunt over the junior doctors’ strike. | But maybe the best line of all was Corbyn’s badge – worn to mark trade union action week and possibly also as a dig at Jeremy Hunt over the junior doctors’ strike. |