By Carole Walker Political correspondent, BBC News

David Cameron had all the aggression of a man with his back against the wall.

The economic crisis has hardly been fertile territory for the Conservatives, but their leader clearly judged it was time to plough into Labour's handling of the problems - and hope to bury the awkward questions over his shadow chancellor George Osborne.

The saga of who said what about a donation at gatherings of the rich and powerful in Corfu may be the story dominating headlines and the talk of the Commons tearoom, but at prime minister's questions Mr Cameron was clearly desperate to steer well away from it all.

The financial crisis has given Gordon Brown a new sense of energy and purpose.

He pressed home his political advantage on the issue, announcing new measures to try to reduce repossessions.

David Cameron pursued his efforts to pin the blame for the problems on the prime minister, accusing him of racking up the biggest budget deficit in the developed world.

Gordon Brown for the first time uttered the r word - recession, agreeing with the governor of the Bank of England that Britain appears to be heading into recession.

But he insisted the economic downturn was a global problem, caused by irresponsible lending in the United States.

For once it was Mr Cameron who was close to losing his cool, accusing the prime minister of being a "master of dodgy accounting", pressing his opponent time and again to admit he'd been wrong to claim an end to boom and bust.

Gordon Brown said it was the Tories who had been wrong on a series of decisions, on Northern Rock, short-selling and deregulation.

He got in his own dig at George Osborne's difficulties, saying "people will be tested on the judgements they made".

But it was left to the veteran left-wing Labour MP Dennis Skinner to raise the issue of the Corfu yacht in the final minutes of the session.

He asked Gordon Brown for a rock solid assurance that whatever he did to clear the nations debts he would never ever meet a Russian millionaire to to "cadge" the money.

It prompted uproar in the Commons, and thunderous looks from Mr Osborne sitting on the front bench beside Mr Cameron.

Once the laughter died down the prime minister said it was a very serious matter and said he hoped it would be investigated "by the authorities".

But as no donation was ever handed over and all the disputed conversations were in private yachts and villas in Corfu, it is hard to see what form of investigation will actually take place.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version