Nick Clegg's first PMQs

Nick Clegg pressed the Prime Minister to act over Fuel Poverty that will claim an estimated 25,000 lives this winter

Nick Clegg performed well for his first Prime Minister Questions today as party leader.

Unlike his predecessors, he's now sat further away from the speaker, so no longer perched on the end of a bench, but surrounded by his colleagues. I think this looks like he's speaking "from the crowd" rather than picked up from a lonely perch, and does look more like he's part of a bigger team.

He also strides out, almost to the middle of the aisle, turns to the Prime Minister and asks his question. A confident move which shows just how at ease he is in the chamber.

The questions he used were about relief for the poor who pay the most for their energy on pre-payment cards. Energy prices are rising and a predicted 25'000 people, mostly elderly and poor, will die this winter from the cold.

He pressed for a commitment that the government would "take action to stop the energy companies from hitting the poorest families with higher bills on pre-paid meters, so we can end the scandal of the poorest families paying the most for their energy needs?"

Brown gave a typically weak answer that the government has "asked" fuel companies to "look" at pre-payment meters. Hardly the action that would prevent so many poor families having to default on payments, or worse, turn off the heating during these cold, dark winter months!