The first Prime Minister’s Questions after the conference season is more important than most: the House and the press gallery are looking to see who has come back with a spring in their step. But today’s session has an added element to it: the Andrew Mitchell factor.
Labour attempted to have a go at the chief whip at Home Office questions on Monday. But with the Chamber only half full, it fell a bit flat. Today, though, the House will be packed and Ed Miliband’s party will be out for blood.
I expect Mitchell himself will deal with it quite resolutely. Friends say that the iron has entered his soul and that he’s convinced he’s the victim of a media witch hunt based on an inaccurate police version of events which is now being exploited by the Police Federation for political ends.
Over the next few weeks, I expect that Miliband will try to use Mitchell as the Prime Minister used David Miliband in the months after the Labour leadership election.
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