This weekÔÇÖs Prime MinisterÔÇÖs Questions began on a more sombre note as tributes were made from both sides in the run up to Remembrance Day. Mr Cameron called upon the whole house to ÔÇ£join him in remembering those who have given their lives in the service of our countryÔÇØ.
However, it did not take long for normal order to be resumed as the familiar jeering and point-scoring soon returned. This week, the so-called impending winter crisis for the NHS dominated proceedings.
The Conservatives refute this claim that the NHS is heading on a road to disaster through statistics finding that last week was in fact the 27th consecutive week where NHS targets were met and that they are treating 1.2million more patients in A&E than during the Labour Government. Using Wales as an example, where the NHS is currently controlled by the Labour party Mr Cameron remarked, perhaps unfairly that ÔÇ£there wonÔÇÖt be a winter crisis in Wales because thereÔÇÖs a crisis every day of the weekÔÇØ.
Mr Miliband fights back by questioning CameronÔÇÖs figures, reporting missed NHS targets for 15 consecutive weeks and quoting the President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, ÔÇ£there are almost daily instances in most A&E departments of patients facing extended trolley waitsÔÇØ. He continues his attack by accusing Mr Cameron of being out of touch with health professionals, paying 6-figure redundancy packages to 2,300 NHS managers.
Welsh politics returns to floor as Mr Cameron finishes the debate, ÔÇ£We donÔÇÖt have to remember the Labour record of the past, we can look at the Labour record in Wales.ÔÇØ Where he accuses them of cutting their health budget by 8.5% and repeatedly missing set targets on cancer and A&E departments.
Another topic dominating the airtime were the actions of Trade Union, Unite in the Grangemouth industrial dispute. Mr Cameron went on to insinuate that Ed Miliband was like a Sicilian Mayor being intimidated by the Mafia in his failure to challenge the UniteÔÇÖs General Secretary Len McCluskey and the rest of the ÔÇ£bully boysÔÇØ over allegations of vote-rigging.
Once again another heated question time, requiring frequent interruptions from the Speaker to maintain some level of order and decorum.
Rebecca Smith
PMQ Columnist
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