Inevitably this week's prime minister's question time was overshadowed by the chancellor's 10th budget - delivered as soon as Tony Blair sat down.

The question in much of the media's pre-Budget coverage was whether this would be Gordon Brown's last as chancellor before taking over at Number 10.

The fact that the prime minister has been having a series of "worst weeks" of his political career only adds grist to the Westminster rumour mill.

And so it was the question that David Cameron asked the prime minister as he prepared to take on the man who will almost certainly be his opponent at the next election, and maybe a lot sooner than that.

"Is this the chancellor's last Budget?" the Tory leader asked Blair, who replied that one thing was for certain, and that was that Cameron "would be on those benches for a long time to come".

Cameron tried again asking "in the manner that 350 of his own MPs would ask. When's he off?"

Blair flannelled a bit but no-one will remember tomorrow as the hacks pour over how Cameron faired against Brown in the real big match of the day.

Sir Menzies Campbell then got his feet and used his two questions to attack the government over Lords' reform and party funding.

On the former he was on firm ground but on the latter he risked a charge of hypocrisy.

Although Labour has taken most of the stick on the 'peerages for cash' row none of the parties have clean hands over this and that's why the Tories have kept conspicuously quiet.

Blair batted away Sir Menzies' question and, although he didn't say it, the subtext was 'people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones'.

Tory MP Stephen Crabb got the biggest laugh of the day asking: "Can the prime minister tell us which of his policies is responsible for the defection of Mr Alan B'stard?"

Blair's use of the question as a premise for trotting out his government's achievements was a bit weak.

He nearly redeemed himself later on when he was able to correctly identify Fergal Sharkey's former band - The Undertones.

Blair may be able to remember the musicians of his youth but the only Ugly Rumours he's connected with these days are a lot uglier than when he fronted his university band.

The Verdict

Tony Blair - 6/10 - Always going to be overshadowed by the man sat on his right.

David Cameron - 6/10 - Mind was on the real job - taking on the man on Blair's right.

Sir Menzies Campbell - 6/10 - Not as bad as previous weeks and the Lords' reform question was sensible.