Brown and Cameron in ding-dong over baby death

At PMQs today, David Cameron asked a simple question about the death of Baby P in the Borough of Haringey. Gordon Brown, hoping that the questions would be about the economy, began to sound edgy and defensive. He accused David Cameron of playing party politics. Not a good thing.

John Cruddas has just said on Andrew Neil's Daily Politics show that the Labour backbenchers did not do themselves proud. No, they didn't. The Speaker was dismayed at their attitude.

Gordon Brown needs to get a grip over what really is important. Instead of hiding behind a gobbledegook brief, he should have been far more empathetic, far more considerate of public feeling. It seems his straightened Presbyterian thinking disallows him from communicating human passion.

David Cameron was right to demand an apology for being accused of making party political capital out of this. Brown didn't apologise. He will probably rue the day, because the tabloid press will be all over him tomorrow like a dose of the worst disease.

Let's hope he will learn from this sorry episode.