The last PMQs of 2011 was in some ways very similar to most of the weekly sessions we’ve seen this year. There were the customary tributes to our forces; those who’ve given their lives and those who continue to serve, the planted questions from the whips on both sides of the House and the increasingly inevitable jibes directed towards the Rt Hon Member for Morley and Outwood, Mr Ed Balls MP.

Today’s first question was from Richard Fuller (Con, Bedford) who asked the PM to ensure that adequate regulations are in place to stop bankers abusing their positions; while required, there is a slight irony having a Conservative MP call for more regulation when they were for more deregulation all through the Labour years. I suppose it’s not his fault, he’s a new one on the block after gaining his seat at the last election.

I thought Ed Miliband had a very good session today, first attacking the prime minister on the economy- particularly the devastatingly bad unemployment figures released today and then moving onto the state of relations between the leaderships of the two parties in this coalition government. There were some good lines from both the leader of the opposition and the prime minister but the best one had to be Miliband’s claim that it was ‘good to see the deputy prime minister with us today’. After the disappearing act we saw during the prime minister’s statement on the European Council on Monday, Clegg had no choice but to sit there but he looked so uncomfortable and clearly wished he was back in his Sheffield constituency standing up for his constituents … actually, no – he probably wasn’t.

One of my favourite questions was from Miliband to Cameron: he quoted the PM’s 2011 new year’s statement back to him. The main point in that statement was that Cameron’s main focus throughout 2011 would be ‘jobs’, Miliband simply asked him: ‘what’s gone wrong’? And true to form with this PM, nothing was his fault or to do with him and his government; in fact everything that went wrong was either the fault of the Labour party or some unknown factor. It’s his default response but when you’ve been in government for 18months and counting, you can’t keep blaming the other lot- you need to start taking responsibility.

There were good questions from Anne McGuire (Lab), Kevin Barron (Lab), David Blunkett (Lab) and the new Tory Justin Tomlinson but this session was about the big boys.

I almost felt bad for Nick Clegg because he sits there with his mouth shut and nodding like a little twit (to quote my 12-year-old brother Tariq); today’s session was essentially about the leaders of the main political parties and the poor Liberals are just not sitting at that table. Ed Miliband asked the prime minister about the new ‘collegiate form of government’ we were promised back in the sun-kissed rose garden at Downing Street in May 2010; ‘what went wrong’ asked the opposition leader? Suffice to say, this prime minister was not in the mood for providing an answer because he just doesn’t do that kind of thing. I have a feeling 2012 will be as interesting, if not more so, as the year we’ve just seen.

There wasn’t much festive cheer in the chamber today but I am sure I speak up for all when I say on their behalf, happy Christmas and all that.