Claire Coutinho emerged as the Tory frontbencher taking deputy prime minister’s questions today, with the shadow energy secretary focusing on oil and gas licences and cabinet dysfunction. Those two topics are more closely related this week than usual: Coutinho wanted to exploit the report that Ed Miliband had ‘ghosted’ Keir Starmer when the Prime Minister was trying to get him to accept a cut to his departmental budget. She was also keen to talk about North Sea exploration, given tomorrow is the Aberdeen South by-election.

Lammy had been well prepared for these questions, but didn’t seem particularly passionate or personally invested in them

Lammy had been well prepared for these questions, but didn’t seem particularly passionate or personally invested in them

David Lammy, standing in for Starmer, was ready for the ghosting story, responding to it even before Coutinho had raised it. He told her in his first........

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