Birtwistle takes on Labour's old-school double act

With David Cameron and Ed Miliband providing a less than vintage exchange at PMQs, the spat of the day took place further down the green benches.

It ended with huge cheers as Gordon Birtwistle delivered a death stare in the direction of Labour's pair of veteran hecklers, Dennis Skinner and Ronnie Campbell. Attempting to ask a question of the prime minister, the straightalking Liberal Democrat politician - Birtwistle is the oldest new MP - found his question knocked off course by the constant heckling of Labour's old-school double act, who revel in telling like it is.

They don't like Birtwistle, and Birtwistle doesn't like them, with confidants of the 67-year-old Lib Dem reporting that his patience is wearing thin. Instead of trying to speak over their shouts, Birtwistle merely stared across the chamber, challenging his hecklers to heckle on - if they dare.

Luckily the prime minister intervened before the spat turned ugly. "They're just furious that he liberated a long-held Labour seat," David Cameron declared, with the Old Etonian Tory emerging as an unlikely ally for the one-time Labour councillor Birtwistle, who punched the air and cheered loudly. This fight has only just got started.

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