Doughty Liz sticks to the script as Starmer blazes wide
If ever there was an award for sticking to the script, Liz Truss would have won it hands down during this week's return of PMQs.
Facing Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer for the second time in her fledgling premiership, the PM was clearly keen to shoehorn the "energy price guarantee" into as many answers as possible.
Dodgy landlords, the plunging pound, soaring interest rates, economic uncertainty? "Don't forget the energy price guarantee," was the PM's resounding message.
If anyone had asked about Richie Anderson and Giovanni Pernice getting voted off Strictly she'd have noted that at least they'll be able to afford to heat their homes.
Naturally Sir Keir wanted to focus on every other part of the Chancellor's mini-budget, which he has now publicly referred to as "kamikaze" on 964 separate occasions.
It is hard to put your finger on precisely what it is with the Labour leader, but he never quite manages to land a telling blow.
Unlike his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, who would probably have focused all of his questions on university tuition fees or the Middle East, Sir Keir at least recognises the issue of the day.
But even with the goal at his mercy he has a tendency to blaze wide.
If he was playing up top for his beloved Arsenal he'd desperately want to be Thierry Henry. Instead he is more like Nicklas Bendtner (who for the uninitiated thought he was the best in the world but absolutely wasn't).
In an effort to up the ante Wolverhampton was brought into the mix, with Sir Keir name-checking Zach and Rebecca whose housing dreams he said had been shattered by the Government's "borrowing spree".
Does the PM understand why they are completely furious with her, Sir Keir asked.
Our energy price guarantee means people won't be facing energy bills of up to £6,000 a year was the PM's response, meaning Zach and his missus would probably be able to put the heating on if only they could afford to buy a house.
Ms Truss was spot on when she said the last thing people need is an early general election – particularly her.
One final observation: Ian Lavery is still an MP. Who knew?
