If ever there was a day when Gordon Brown needed a good performance at PMQs, this was it. And he delivered against a relatively lacklustre David Cameron.
Whether he survives the coming days remains to be seen, given talk of a backbench campaign to promote Alan Johnson. The resignation of Hazel Blears is a loss to his cabinet, despite the likelihood that she would have been moved. However, the PM also has rather more room for manoeouvre in a reshuffle than he had before, and if he uses it wisely, he could come through all this. But if he doesn't, the pressure will increase.
But Brown is right to highlight the absence of any policy from the Tories. Whatever happens, this failure of substance needs to be corrected before any general election. We need to know what the Tories plan to do - and how - on many policy areas. If they don't address this deficit, the Tories will find this becomes a serious issue after the agenda moves on from the expenses saga.
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