No more press release government?

Gordon Brown wants people to believe his government is only interested in taking action - not pushing out press releases.

Fair enough. That is, after all, what focus groups are telling politicians. They don't want a government driven by the next day's headlines. Perhaps they feel they have had enough of that over the past decade.

Anyway, that explains why home secretary Jacqui Smith never quite got around to informing MPs, or voters, that thousands of illegal immigrants were working in sensitive security jobs - including protecting the prime minister's official motor.

She was, Gordon Brown insisted, more focused on getting on with the job of tackling the issue. That is what people want.

And he told David Cameron: "The key issue is about what was actually done, and we took action. We did our duty - not press releases but action."

For some reason, this did not satisfy the Tory leader who believed what Ms Smith was really up to was trying to cover up the crisis.

Brown's demeanour

She was, he claimed: "caught red handed putting spin in front of public safety".

"Either the home secretary was desperately trying to cover up yet another cock-up in the home office - or she was acting as any responsible, serious politician would"

Moving on, he asked when Ms Smith had told the prime minister of the "major security lapse".

Honestly, as if that really mattered. Why on earth should the prime minister be told something like that, was the suggestion in Mr Brown's demeanour.

As the prime minister said, while failing to answer the question: "The home secretary has been dealing with it right through. It is an operational question.

"I am sorry he puts so much emphasis on press releases."

Once again, Mr Cameron was far from convinced.

"If he will not answer a simple question like this, people will not trust him on anything," he suggested.

Cameron ammunition?

The truth, of course, is that you pays you money and you takes your choice on this one.

Either the home secretary was desperately trying to cover up yet another cock-up in the home office.

Or she was acting as any responsible, serious politician would and getting on with putting things right first.

Either way, we have probably not heard the last of Mr Brown's claim that his government does not pay too much attention to press releases.

It should present Mr Cameron with some useful ammunition next time the prime minister has a big announcement to make.

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