Bryant in the stocks

After watching Chris Bryant on BBC's Question Time last week I became inclined to slap him with a big wet fish, and it seems I'm not the only one.

In the House yesterday Bryant was getting ribbed all over the place.

During the European Council statement the Rhondda MP launched an attack on Cameron's upper class education, the favoured weapon of some Labour MPs. He said:

“Let me get this right. The Prime Minister failed to put together a blocking minority in July, and he did not even manage to get the Polish on board, despite the fact that the Polish Foreign Secretary was in the Bullingdon club with him at Oxford.”

Cameron replied:

“The difference between the hon. Gentleman and me is that when we were both at Oxford he was a member of the Conservative association and I was not.”

Bryant went pink and could only nod and smile sheepishly as one of his Labour colleagues asked him if it was true.

But actually the venom came from Charles Kennedy later on during the debate about political reform.

Bryant was heading the charge for Labour and when he sat down Kennedy stood up to say...

"I say in a genial way what a pleasure it is to follow the hon. Member for Rhondda - it is a pleasure because, by definition, if I am following him, he must have stopped speaking for once."

...and then added later while pointing at Bryant...

"The less one understands the issue, the more confident one can sound - witness the shadow Minister tonight."

Sticks and stones, Chris, sticks and stones.