By Nick Assinder BBC News Online political correspondent

Queen's Speech: A big day for leaders

In his first big, set-piece Commons performance against the prime minister, Mr Howard graphically demonstrated that any suggestion that the softening of his policy edges had transferred to his character were well wide of the mark.

This was the hard man at his hardest and, it must be said, his most effective.

He sniped at the prime minister's inability to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

He accused him of wasting his historic period in office.

He brought up the backbench revolt over top up fees.

And he taunted the prime minister over his apparent decision not to hold a referendum on joining the single currency before the next election.

Then he got tough.

Stinging rebuke

He jibed at the relationship between the prime minister and the chancellor - claiming Mr Blair had to keep bringing twice-sacked Peter Mandelson back into Downing Street through the back door so they could head off Gordon Brown.

Howard just got tougher

The result of this feud was to show the prime minister as "weak, feeble and utterly unable to do what he wants."

"How utterly humiliating for him and damaging for this country," he said.

This all hit the mark. But then he got even tougher - the steroids presumably kicking in..

Turning to the suggestions that children of failed asylum seekers might be taken into care, he delivered a stinging rebuke to both the prime minister and Home Secretary David Blunkett.

In a section of his speech that infuriated Mr Blunkett, but was clearly striking home with many Labour backbenchers, he accused the two men of planning a despicable policy of which they should be thoroughly ashamed.

Wound up

When Mr Blunkett protested, Mr Howard waved around a newspaper declaring: "If he briefs newspapers to get headlines like this he has only got himself to blame."

The Tories would join those Labour backbenchers who still retained their self respect and vote against it if it was ever introduced, he pledged.

Blair attacked Tory record

Add that to the Tory opposition to top up fees and their support for linking pensions to earnings and that is a pretty potent and popular trio of polices that will appeal to many of those who voted Labour at the last election.

The prime minister, who is clearly going to have to get used to these roastings, tried not to allow himself to be wound up. And he nearly succeeded.

He looked marginally more relaxed than during his question time encounters with Mr Howard - presumably because he knows the opposition leader doesn't have a comeback during Queen Speech debates.

And he has had time to develop his strategy. Which, basically, is summed up by his attack on the Tories as "back to the future" led by Mr Poll Tax himself.

With his past record in office, he jibed, no wonder he does not want juries to know about people's previous convictions.

Usual discourtesy

"They are facing tomorrow's challenges with yesterday's men - oh, and one woman," he declared.

Mr Howard's attack had been "ceaselessly negative" he said, constantly running down the NHS and the education system.

Then someone pushed him onto fast forward and he started to rush through the rest of his pre-prepared, and admittedly over long speech.

The Tory benches looked delighted, even smug. Their man had done the business.

So, when it came to Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy's turn, he was treated to the usual discourtesy of dozens of backbenchers walking out in front of him.

He is used to it and it did not stop him attacking the government over issues like asylum, claiming it was now more illiberal than the previous Tory government.

He also said what many are thinking about the looming report by Lord Hutton into the death of Dr David Kelly.

If Lord Hutton criticises the government in any way, it will be a test of its integrity to accept collective responsibility and not simply allow one minister to take the wrap, he said.

That put this speech into context.