PMQs Live-blog | 8 June 2011

VERDICT: It’s nigh impossible to overstate what a pickle David Cameron found himself in this morning: the strain of the recent health debacle continues and he has had to orchestrate a u-turn on Ken Clarke’s liberal prison reforms, although don’t call it a u-turn. But, somehow, Ed Miliband contrived the PM’s escape.

Miliband’s brief reconnaissance of the sentencing reform issue served only to highlight his one-time support for Clarke’s controversial reforms. Try as he might, he could not outflank the government. He merely looked opportunistic and Cameron made light (and hay) of this. After two misfired questions, Miliband moved on to the NHS. He was better here, but not much. Cameron had sufficient room to manoeuvre the debate around to Labour’s dismal performance in charge of the Welsh health service, where waiting lists are up and budgets are down. Miliband is in danger of becoming the keeper of failed orthodoxies.