Ed Miliband’s negative approach at PMQs looks set to become the norm

Ed Miliband’s approach at PMQs today was rather odd. He led, aggressively, on whether the government would implement the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards’ recommendation of a new criminal offence for negligent bankers. He asked the question in a manner that expected the answer no, but Cameron—predictably—said he would. At which point, the wind rather went out of Miliband’s sails.

Cameron’s answer was eminently predictable because the idea of a new criminal offence for negligent bankers was first floated by George Osborne’s former chief of staff Matt Hancock at the start of last year. Given Hancock’s proximity to the Tory leadership, as one of those who prepares Cameron for these midweek jousts, it was unlikely that he would have proposed the idea if Cameron and Osborne weren’t open to it.

After that, the exchanges descended into the usual Tory attempt to pin the banking crisis to Labour and Labour trying to paint the Tories as the rich banker’s friends.