Jeremy Corbyn’s principal victory had come earlier with the scrapping of charges on the universal credit helpline, but the way he scored points on economic competence is not a good look for the government

Key points

Last week’s PMQs was almost solely focused on universal credit, and Jeremy Corbyn, having been pleased with the result, went on a broader attack this week on the state of the economy. He began by welcoming the fall in unemployment figures – prompting a sarcastic retort from Theresa May – but zoomed in on fresh figures showing average UK wages were no higher now in real terms than they were in 2006. May replied with a list of measures introduced to help the low paid – tax cuts, the national living wage, free childcare worth £5,000 – before Corbyn followed up with a letter from “Christine” detailing her struggles on a low income.

The Labour leader moved on to claiming victory for Wednesday’s announcement on the scrapping of charges for the universal credit helpline, which he had raised last week, and urged Tory MPs to vote with their conscience on delaying the rollout of the controversial benefits scheme. May replied with a standard defence of universal credit, insisting it helped more people into work.

An exchange on public-sector pay followed, with Corbyn asking for specifics on a pay rise for NHS staff, which May did not provide. Instead there was a mini-lecture on public finances – “the government has no money of its own” – which allowed Corbyn the obvious retort that finding £1bn for the DUP’s support had not proved problematic.

Corbyn’s last question was a broad-based volley on the weakness of the economy, taking in record levels of personal debt, weak productivity and wage stagnation. The prime minister responded by quoting some more optimistic comments from the OECD and said the government was still dealing with the fallout from “Labour’s great recession”.

Verdict

A Corbyn win, obviously, although it was one he notched up at 9.30am, and at PMQs he ambled through a confident but straightforward victory. Sometimes a dextrous PM can make a virtue of a U-turn, by using it as evidence that he or she is listening, and May must have been tempted to announce the telephone helpline change herself (although it would have been hard for David Gauke to spend two hours in a committee dodging questions about this). Corbyn was wise to start by welcoming the fall in unemployment, thereby denying May the chance to make the usual “why-won’t-he-mention-it?” jibe, and thereafter he relied on the scattergun approach he increasingly favours. His questions were serious, shrewd and pertinent and, although this tactic does not allow him to push a single issue aggressively, he started to flesh out an interesting and convincing “weak economy, not strong economy” line of argument. May never tripped up, but her Economics 101 lecture about public money sounded a bit naive and overall she didn’t land a blow. It wasn’t a memorable PMQs, but Corbyn won, and he won on the economy. That is something that ought to worry the Tories enormously.

Memorable lines

The honourable gentleman may have done a first. It’s the first time I can remember that he’s ever welcomed a fall in unemployment.

May jabs at Corbyn on the jobless figures

I wonder if the prime minister could do a first and actually answer a question

But Corbyn wants to talk about falling wages