Harman V Hague

David Miliband had been possessed by Kenneth Williams and looked like he might at any moment shout “ooooohhhhhh maayyytron!”

The Foreign Secretary’s lips were circled into a tight “O” and his eyebrows were raised so high, it was as though they were trying to re-unite themselves with his carpet-like hairdo.

The bizarre expression was a response to Harriet Harman’s smug disclosure that William Hague, whom she was facing at today’s PMQs, had received £30,000 from RBS for speaking at two dinners.

It was Harman’s bright point in what was one of the liveliest clashes I’ve seen for sometime.

The glorious highlight, however, was watching the expression of various Labour plotters as Hague poked fun at Harman’s leadership ambitions.

Harman kept steely faced, Johnson let a faint smile play around on his lips, Hain grinned and Miliband went through more facial contortions than a woman in labour – that’s giving birth, not the party.

“Why doesn’t she now step in?” asked Hague mockingly.

“When Chamberlain lost his party’s confidence Churchill stepped forward. When Eden crossed the Atlantic exhausted, well, SuperMac came forward. This could be her moment.”

After droning for a while about some schemes Harman later responded... “Whilst he focuses on political gossip we focus on fighting for Britain’s future.”

Hague: “Mr Speaker, she shouldn’t describe her leadership campaign as political gossip. That is not how to go about winning the leadership of her party.”

Tory MPs were already in hysterics, but at this point the Labour benches erupted pointing at Hague and shouting “you know!” – referring to rumours that he himself wants to come back as Tory leader.

Hague responded: “I do know about that. I’m only a deputy now, but at least I’m a loyal one.”