It was notable that the least confident passage in his mostly assured turn at the despatch box came when he tried to dismiss – at great speed – the rise in the debt ratio, as GDP was downgraded, as a "paradoxical result".
But he will at least spend four and a half years at the despatch box every week, speaking in a calm and measured voice about the "common sense" he represents – why can't we build more houses?
Next, Gordon Brown was in robust form at Prime Minister's Question Time, performing more effectively at the despatch box than any of his immediate potential successors would be capable of doing.
Jeremy Corbyn at the despatch box yesterday?
She was standing at the despatch box.
An uncompromising, graceless and brittle figure at the despatch box and a horde of semi-priapic backbenchers braying.
The man who once met a black man being pounded to oblivion at the despatch box by a black woman.
But today, like a century ago, we can't wait for permission to take our place at the despatch box.
An uncompromising, graceless and brittle figure at the despatch box and a horde of semipriapic, braying backbenchers".
And difficult not to ask oneself when next a Labour leader will stand at the despatch box and take PMQs.
