Tony Blair got to his feet 10 years and one day from when he took office in 1997, and gave a performance that demonstrated why he has lasted a decade.

Former home secretary David Blunkett noted the anniversary in an early intervention the gist of it being: prime minister - why are you so great?

It prompted a chorus "give him his job back" from the Tory benches.

Blair may be determined to show he is still busy and powerful in the dying days of his premiership but returning Blunkett to the frontbench is beyond him now.

The second part of Blunkett's intervention - inviting a defence of the decision not to open another inquiry (other than the review to be carried out by the intelligence and security committee) into the July 7 bombings - rather spiked the guns of David Cameron who covered the same ground.

The prime minister insisted that a wider probe would "have the Security Service, the police and others diverted from the task of fighting terrorism".

Politically this issue is extremely tricky as Cameron risks sounding critical of MI5 just after they have helped secure the convictions of terrorists bent on causing mass casualties.

On the other hand if there is a similar attack the government opens itself to the accusation that it did not learn the lessons of July 7 by refusing to hold a further inquiry.

If Blair and and the Conservative leader at least tried to tread carefully around this sensitive issue Beast of Bolsover Dennis Skinner had no such qualms.

In reference to Cameron's role as assistant to chancellor Norman Lamont he called on Blair to order a July 7-style inquiry into Black Wednesday as "there is a photograph showing the involvement of the leader of the opposition and he was not trailed at the time".

Sir Menzies Campbell was on safer ground when he asked the prime minister if he agreed with Geoff Hoon's assertion that there was insufficient planning for the aftermath of the Iraq invasion and that the US ignored British advice on key decisions.

Blair agreed with Hoon's view but refused to accept responsibility for the current carnage saying that al Qaeda and Iranian backed Shia militias were intent on destruction and that coalition forces were trying to prevent them.

The Tory leader used his second set of questions to make a dig about the Labour leadership transition, asking: "He's told us who is going to wear the crown, can he now tell us who wielded the knife?"

Blair saw this one a mile off and was well prepared. "If he wants to talk about leadership and candidates I certainly won't be following his example from the mayor of London candidacy and I can assure him that the person I will be backing for the leadership of the Labour Party will at least be a member of the Labour Party" - a reference to Cameron's failed attempt to woo former Labour-backer Greg Dyke into the role.

Cameron asked Blair to tell "us a bit about the man who is going to be our prime minister", allowing Blair to list his and the chancellor's "achievements over the last 10 years." Cue a long list of the kind of measures - from repealing Clause 28 to Bank of England independence - that the Tories voted against.

But if Blair bested Cameron he completely demolished two Lib Dems.

Richard Younger-Ross took an age to call for more free bus passes for pensioners. He read virtually every word from his notes, prompting chants of "reading" from MPs until Mr Speaker stopped him mid-flow.

The way Younger-Ross sat down with his head in his hands showed that at least he knew he had fluffed it.

Blair then read out a list of Labour achievements listed on the Liberal Democrat website, ending in praise for the improved NHS.

It was unfortunate for another Lib Dem, Greg Mulholland, who followed up by complaining about the NHS to much hilarity from the Labour benches.

Blair pointed out that Mulholland had not attended key meetings on local NHS provision. The Leeds MP tried to make a point of order to refute the claims but as the Speaker reminded him the middle of PMQs was not the place to do it.

Blair - 9/10 - A master class, more than a few Labour MPs will miss him when he's gone.

Cameron - 6/10 - In danger of alienating the security services and walked into a leadership elephant-trap.

Sir Menzies - 7/10 - Went on the Lib Dems strong Iraq card the day before elections.