With the new man in the Speaker�s Chair, albeit without the silk stockings, it was nonetheless business as usual in the Westminster bearpit. The Tory terrier tasted blood last week over public spending and returned for more as he ripped into the Brown bear.

WITH the new man in the Speaker's Chair, albeit without the silk stockings, it was nonetheless business as usual in the Westminster bearpit.

The Tory terrier tasted blood last week over public spending and returned for more as he ripped into the Brown bear.

While the issue of capital expenditure might sound as dry as dust, it will be at the heart of who becomes the change candidate in No 10 next year.

Dave had a twinkle in his eye as he quoted the PM from last week, asserting that "capital expenditure will grow until the year of the Olympics". Mr C said the Treasury's own figures showed this to be wrong and asked if Mr B would correct the wrong information.

The PM rolled off figures that showed spending would rise to £44bn until 2010 and "thereafterwards it will fall", at which point the Tories hooted their derision.

The bear sought to right himself, insisting the real comparison was between what Labour was spending now (£44bn) and what the Tories had spent (£16bn) when they were in power. By now, the terrier's teeth were firmly implanted in the Brown shin and he was not going to let go.

DC read out more figures on future capital spending, and the bear was up on his feet before the terrier had finished, sparking cackles from the blue-rinsers. Gordy insisted spending had been brought forward to help ease the recession, bellowing how the Tories would spend "less in every year" than Labour.

However, the terrier was already tasting blood and declared to a chorus of approval from his own pack: "The Prime Minister has been caught absolutely red-handed."

It was getting heated and Speaker Bercow, taking a sip of water, was receiving hurried instructions in his ear from a trusty aide.

Then to Tory cheers, Dave asked Gordy to find his moral compass and tell the truth. As the Conservative howls continued, up popped the Speaker, apologising - there's a first - for interrupting the PM and insisting there was too much noise.

The terrier had one final snap, declaring that the PM was "not a big enough man to say he got it wrong".

By now, the bear was floundering and resorting to his trusted line of defence and attack that his opponent was "Mr 10%" and Tory cuts would decimate Britain's spending programmes.

The Speaker urged one excited Conservative to "calm yourself, it's not good for your health".

While the bear had survived, he was clearly wounded and later in response to Calamity Clegg sparked more laughter from the Tory hyenas, saying: "It's the Liberal Party that wants to cut public expenditure not the Conserv...not the Labour Party."

The comrades were beginning slowly to sink in their seats. At the end of another Brown-baiting session, the Speaker quaintly called for an "atmosphere of calm, reasoned debate". Fat chance.