After the boredom of last week, the opposition leaders returned to form at this week's PMQ.Tony Blair gave his customary confident, comfortable performance, David Cameron had some good jokes and Ming asked a principled question that the PM failed to answer.
There is a strong sense that everyone is just waiting for the change of leader, which is frustrating for Blair, the only person who knows when that new leader will start.
Young Tory boy Stephen Crabb had the first question, and used it to very good effect, asking the PM to close a loophole that allows British companies to invest in the repressive Burmese regime.
The PM made the right noises but promised nothing. The next question was so clearly planted it was almost funny to watch. Natascha Engel. Something about tax credits helping thousands of people in her constituency. So Tony Blair got to make a dig about "uncosted and uncostable commitments" from the Tories before the Opposition Leader had even got to his feet.
Cameron used up his first four supplementary questions on the Youth Justice System, currently "in crisis." No, its much better than it was in 1997, replied the PM. Also, we send people to jail for breaching ASBOs.
Cameron accused Blair of living on another planet - adult prisons had run out of places and police are being diverted to act as jailers.
The PM pointed again to the National Audit Office report, which gave Youth Justice a nice shiny gold star, and said that there are a further 8000 places being built. Strange how no one bats an eyelid at a Labour leader boasting about putting more people behind bars and expanding the penal system.
Or a Tory leader sticking up for the NHS. "If he wants to talk about cuts, let's talk about the 20,000 jobs he is cutting in the NHS.
"Now, Prime Mininster, back to prison. That has a certain ring to it!"
The opposition MPs lapped this all up as the PM responded that Tory tax proposals mean cuts, and that since 1997 there are 300,000 extra staff in the NHS.
Cameron built up to his big soundbite, and it seems his original pledge to avoid Punch & Judy politics seemed to have been firmly forgotten:
"It doesn't matter who is in charge, Blair/Brown, Brown/Blair, this country isn't safe under Labour!"
The thing about Punch & Judy is that Blair is clearly the puppetmaster. He dismissed Cameron's soundbite by casually remarking that the boyish Tory leader sounded as if he spent time rehearsing his line, then returned to a bit of "under the Tories crim doubled" and finished with the classic, "he talks tough but votes soft."
Beat that, Gordon Brown.
Claire Curtis-Thomas asked a strange question about Anthony Gormley statues in her constituency. She is a very odd woman, but the PM made another joke, and the Labour MPs were in a happy mood.
Ming Campbell has improved muchly at PMQ, apparently since he stopped taking advice and writes his own questions. Today he wanted to know if the shiny new US/UK extradition treaty
would be used to extradite the American soldiers who killed ITN journalist Terry Lloyd.
The PM expressed his sympathy to Lloyd's family and then completely fudged his answer, ending up with a rousing defence of the bravery of American soldiers.
Ming was on top QC form. "Not much comfort there. As recently as last night the government assured us that the extradition treaty would facilitate justice. It is a fast track process that only goes one way."
David Cameron used his last two questions to "demand" that a climate change bill be introduced in the Queens Speech. Labour MPs laughed uproariously at Cameron's assertion that the Tory party have been pushing for a tough climate bill:
"If you want to get something to happen in this country, get the leader of the Opposition to suggest it!" he told them, as his own side went bananas. The PM pointed out that the Tories voted against the climate change levy. Cameron wanted a straight answer about whether we will get a new climate bill.
Blair said he can't talk about what is in the Queens Speech, as the poor lamb spends hours writing it all herself. The PM took the opportunity to mock the recent tax proposals from the oppposition. The Speaker for once did not intervene as Blair expertly lampooned Cameron and Shadow Chancellor George Osborne as flip-flopping on the key issue of green taxes. "If that is an example of his policy making we certainly won't follow him."
Blair batted away questions on Post Offices, breast cancer, trade unions in Iraq, the CSA, expansion of the EU, but did get a bit lippy with a cheeky SNP MP.
"When he is interviewed by the Metropolitan police, what innocent explanation will he give for the fact that 80p of every pound donated to Labour comes from someone who has been honoured?"
Most people had forgotten about Mr Blair and the local bobbies, and the PM deftly ignored the question and attacked the SNP instead.
"He doesn't dare ask a question about Scotland ... his policy of ripping Scotland out of the UK would be a disaster."
Just when it looked like the Speaker wouldn't get a chance to say anything at all, Labour MP Andrew MacKinlay started bellowing across the chamber at Tory MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown. Something about Iran and nuclear weapons, but it was a startling and completely bonkers moment that made everyone laugh.
A beaming Speaker told MacKinlay that "the Prime Minister is doing alright on his own." He certainly is.
For all David Cameron's smart comebacks, Tony Blair is still the master at PMQ.
