Today Labour predictably led on a cost of living theme highlighting its new policies and critiquing the government’s record to date. The majority of today’s debate centred around Labour’s plans for an energy price freeze and Ed bravely used all six questions on his own policy. This exchange was accompanied by a myriad of questions on everything from childcare costs to NHS provision, marriage tax breaks for the few and the prime minister’s own experience of the squeeze on living standards.

Tory backbenchers seemed to approach today with less of a political strategy than a litany of constituent complaints, with MPs using questions for aeroplane noise concerns and scrap metalling policy. They did manage some collective points around Labour’s policies driving spending and taxes with a Conservative MP quoting the CBI on the need for assurance opportunity costs in Britain for all businesses small, medium and large. The simple message was that Labour will cost jobs and investment in pursuit of their socialist hinterland. However, the Conservative hard economic hard line is faltering with the addition of some ‘gimmicks’ of their own, with the prime minister referring to as of yet unshaped promises on energy tariff policy and childcare tax relief. This illustrates Ed’s success in putting the cost of living debate front and centre in the lead up to 2015.

I was disappointed Labour didn’t use any questions on the failure of the e-tracking immigration system and the Advertising Standards Authority banning of the Home Office’s heavily criticised ‘go home’ ad vans. Both of which are big news items today.

Who won?

Ed won today. He used all his questions on the cost of living and Labour’s energy price freeze policy. This was a confident Ed, post-conference season, and a cut-throat reshuffle. Choosing to spend the entirety of PMQs discussing your own policy is very brave as a Labour opposition leader in the face of a Tory rebuttal that centred on possible tax rises, prices rise and debt – as Dave put it: ‘I’ll leave the communist plots to him’. But Ed has chosen his path, his eyes are open and he already knows what the Tory rebuttal will amount to – we all did. It’s a gamble that talking heads and political commentators are no longer certain will fail, and that is actually praise indeed.

Best backbencher?

Conservative MP Jake Berry asked the prime minister about the EU’s latest bizarre law … this time they’ve banned 10 packs and menthol cigarettes. Moves like this play straight into the anti-EU narrative in Britain. MEPs should be less concerned about gateway cigarettes and more concerned about a British exit.

Best question, answer, comment or joke?

Somewhat awkward, this question from Kate Green two days after the reshuffle, but a brilliant analysis of the failings of the Marriage Tax Allowance none the less:

’83 per cent of the beneficieries of the government’s proposed marriage tax break will be men, just 17 per cent will be women. Why does the prime minister have such a blind spot when it comes to women?’

In fact, I felt Labour’s strategy on the whole today exposed Cameron’s ‘blind spot’ well. From the marriage tax break, to household bills and childcare costs the debate focused on the everyday experience of trying to balance the household bills. Keeping the talk away from cerebral debate about macroeconomic theory was probably also a good move in the light of yesterday’s new optimism from the IMF.

All I’m left wondering is… what on earth was John Woodcock on about? Clearly gossip he’s not sharing, come on John spill the beans.

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Emma O’Dwyer is a Labour party organiser and has just ended her term as national chair of Labour Students. She tweets @Emma_O’Dwyer

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