David Cameron’s ghost haunts Theresa May as Jeremy Corbyn uses his opposition to grammar schools to send the PM floundering
Funeral-like praise was heaped on the former PM - but he was brought back to life by the Labour leader
YOU might have thought David Cameron's last PMQs was back in July, when he was sent on his way to the sounds of rapturous applause.
But today it was as if the former PM had not broken his promise to quit Number 10 and not jacked in his Commons seat - because his ghost dominated proceedings.
Funeral-like praise was heaped on the “the former member for Witney” at the top of the agenda in the House of Commons.
He may not have actually died, but Mr Cameron was brought back to life at the centre of British politics by a rare well timed missile from Jeremy Corbyn.
“There is a kind of hopelessness about the demand to bring back grammars," quoted the slightly less useless than usual Labour leader.
"An assumption that this country will only ever be able to offer a decent education to a select few."
"I want the Conservative Party to rise above that attitude," said Mr Corbyn, quoting that "former member for Witney" again.
RELATED STORIES:
If Mr Corbyn wants another go next week he could try David Cameron’s 2006 claim that “the prospect of bringing back grammar schools has always been wrong and I've never supported it.
"And I don't think any Conservative government would have done it.”
You can see why Mr Cameron had to go - the PM’s predecessors words will be thrown at Theresa May week after week as she battles to force the reintroduction of selection in schools
The only saving grace was Dave was not sitting on the backbenches blushing and serving as a lightning rod for the deep opposition to the new grammar school policy.
Mrs May floundered around in reply with lines from her big education speech last Friday: “1.4million kids in good or outstanding schools... more choice for parents.”
But she lost the room when she accused the Labour leader of going back to the 1950s.
It was a rare chance for the Labour Party to have a good old belly laugh and howl in the Commons - they really loved that one.
Things may be bad for Labour, and Mr Corbyn certainly is heading for a 1980s style drubbing, but that was rich from the PM who has picked her first big battle by reintroducing education policy from a previous century.
Worryingly for Mrs May there was utter silence from the Tory benches behind her - it was as if the opposition to grammars ran almost as deep on that side of the Commons too.
Yes, Tory MPs are likely to get behind their leader and hammer the new old policy through the House - that’s what they do - but they sure as hell aren’t going to cheer while they do it.
Battling the wall of noise the second time she tried for a joke - Corbyn had gone to a grammar school too, so they can't be that bad... right?
But it wasn't cutting it with the Tory benches.
For the first time since Mrs May took over the Tories didn't look smug - some of them even looked utterly glum.
The PM managed to win a few points back as Mr Corbyn drifted off the subject, but it was not third time lucky for Theresa May.
PMQs score: Theresa May 3 - 3 Jeremy Corbyn