RULE #34b of ding-dong politics – if you say something often and hard enough, it sticks.

So we've had omnishambles, combishambles (over the energy bills row) and even babyshambles (over alcohol pricing) but, please no, not Scombishambles.

Red Ed rose for PMQs looking smugger than usual and politely asked how Dave was going to keep his unbelievable promise to guarantee every consumer in the land the lowest power bills.

The PM, whose face gets shinier and redder as the parliament progresses, insisted the Government "wanted" to give everyone the lowest bills and was on the side of those lovely people who worked hard and did the decent thing.

The chief comrade said this was another "dodgy deal" from the Downing Street Del Boy, who did "not do the detail, made up the policy and got caught out". (He was talking about the PM and not the FM here, wasn't he?)

Flashman accused the Labour headboy of flip-flopping on policies. "I'm all in favour of switching but this is ridiculous," he blasted to Tory cheers.

Ed reached for another mallet marked Coalition: the West Coast main line franchise fiasco, which he quoted ministers as saying had been "tested robustly". Labour MPs cackled with ironic laughter at that one.

After Dave blithely dodged the question and simply had a pop at the last Labour Government's record on energy prices, the chief comrade noted how Boy George was sounding off again, turned and said, to Labour hoots: "He shouts from a sedentary position. It's not the ticket that needs upgrading, it's the Chancellor."

The PM reverted to his default position and answered a funny quip by insisting Red Ed was making a "load of rubbish jokes" because he had nothing to say on the bread and butter stuff voters were interested in.

Ed reached for another mighty stick and quoted from the Tories' election blurb and how DC and his colleagues had wanted to present the "modern Conservative alternative – clear, competent, inspiring". The Labour leader asked: "Where did it all go wrong?"

Dave repeated – to Tory echoes – how the real issues were how unemployment was "down", inflation was "down" and borrowing was "down".

EM grimaced and suggested the PM was living in a parallel universe and presiding over – wait for it – "a shambles" of a government.