Band of Brothers
To coin a phrase he was 'hoist by his own petard' - when one of his questions backfired and exploded in his face.
Until now I didn't realise that a 'petard' was a small bomb - used by German and French soldiers, so they say, back in the sixteenth century - for blowing up enemy fortifications would you believe.
How spooky is that - when Europe is on everyone's lips these days?
But every now and then - it seems - these pesky 'petards' had the habit of going off unexpectedly.
And if that happened at precisely the wrong moment - then the unfortunate soldier could be destroyed at his own hand - so to speak.
Hence the original meaning of the pharse - to be hoist by one's own petard - and that's exactly what happened to Ed Miliband yesterday at PMQs.
As he sought to exploit the differences in the coalition government over Europe - by making fun of the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister - accusing them of having terrible marital spat which - Ed said - was costing the country dear.
But quick as a flash David Cameron turned the tables - by advising the Labour leader not to overplay his hand - or believe everything he reads in the newspapers.
'It's not as if we - (i.e. David Cameron and Nick Clegg) - are brothers, or anything!' - said the Prime Minister to hoots of laughter and derision all round.
Which was of course a reference to Ed Miliband snatching the the Labour crown from his own brother - David Miliband - ironically through the votes of largely non-Labour party members - delivered via the trade unions of course.
Oh how they laughed - except on the Labour benches of course - where morale slumped to a new low.
Ah well - C'est La Guerre, as they say - in some parts of the Eurozone.
