PMQs Live-blog | 14 September 2011

VERDICT: The 80,000 rise in unemployment announced today gave Ed Miliband an immediate tactical advantage and he made the most of it, damning the government’s economic policy and painting the coalition as uncaring Conservatives. He even cracked the odd risqué joke, such was his confidence. Cameron defended as best he could and he managed to avoid looking evasive, but the session was Miliband’s. However, despite this defeat and the dire economic outlook, Cameron need not panic yet. Miliband is still very weak on the economy: he is yet to provide any strategic direction on how to repair the public finances and promote sustainable growth. He also looks incoherent: yesterday he said that you can’t spend your way to a new economy, but today he seemed back in his tax and spend comfort zone. Miliband is unlikely to win the war from that position. 

12:32: Zac Goldmsith asks perhaps the 5th question relating to the planning row. Cameron again says that planning reforms will go ahead to make the system more local and less bureaucratic.