Prime minister's questions

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By Nick Assinder
Political Correspondent, BBC News website

Tony Blair may have been aiming his words at rowdy Tory backbenchers, but they might just have made the hairs on David Blunkett's neck prickle.

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After Michael Howard had done taunting the prime minister with the free character readings Mr Blunkett has delivered on his colleagues - PM included - the opposition benches yelled for more.

"No", declared Mr Blair "I think we have had enough."

He certainly meant he had had enough of the Tory jeers, but it is quite likely he will be more than delighted if he also hears no more of Mr Blunkett's alleged views.

And, of course, there are those who will have seen the prime minister's words as the first sign that his patience with the home secretary is wearing thin.

It is said Mr Blunkett has been ringing round his "friends" to explain or perhaps even apologise for his intemperate words.

They would have been wounding enough under normal circumstances.

Coming at the height of the home secretary's trials, when many of his targets have been rallying to his support, however, and claims of ingratitude and even disloyalty may be mixed into the stew.

Bully?

Mr Howard, needless to say, had delighted in repeating the home secretary's comments - that Jack Straw had left the home office in a mess, that Education Secretary Charles Clarke had not lived up to expectations, that Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell was weak and that Chancellor Gordon Brown was a bully.

The prime minister might actually agree with that one, suggested Mr Howard - clearly loving every second of the discomfort he was visibly causing the opposite frontbench.

And, just to finish off, he reminded the prime minister that, according to Mr Blunkett, he did not like being told the truth.

Exactly why Mr Blunkett made these inflammatory remarks to his biographer is puzzling enough - and his alleged excuse that he was caught in a bad mood has done little to take the sting out of them.

Uncomfortable fact?

But the fact that they have hit daylight just as his own career is on the line only goes to prove that in politics, just as in comedy, timing is everything.

One of the truths the prime minister appeared not to like being told was that he was going to miss one of his environmental targets.

So Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy reminded him of this uncomfortable fact.

The prime minister pointed out that this specific target, on CO2 emissions, would eventually be met and that, in other areas such as the Kyoto deal, Britain led the world.

Tory theme?

Mr Kennedy remained unimpressed: "Again it is the case, as with so many other things, he talks a very good game, persuades himself but fails to deliver."

This is already one of the Tory party's big themes and is quite clearly going to be a major general election issue.

On this, at least, the prime minister has a well rehearsed response - he lists his achievements in areas like employment, inflation and the economy in general.

These, he insists, will be where the real fight will take place at that poll.