Yesterday’s exchanges were particularly acrimonious between Andy Burnham MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Health, and Mr Jeremy Hunt. Here’s one short excerpt reported in Hansard:

“Andy Burnham rose—

Mr Hunt: No, I am going to make some progress. Today he had a chance to show that he had learned how wrong—

Andy Burnham: On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Is it in order for the Secretary of State to misrepresent the views of the previous Government and previous Ministers, and refuse to take interventions? He has just said that I refused to change and strengthen the regulation system of hospitals in England—that is factually incorrect. I brought forward a new system for the registration of all hospitals in England in autumn 2009, on the back of recommendations from the CQC. Again, he should get his facts straight at that Dispatch Box.”

However, it had started badly,

“Andy Burnham: How can it be appropriate to introduce a debate on such fundamentally important issues as the way we care for older people with such narrow, petty, partisan, point scoring efforts?“

Burnham then got totally exasperated.

“Andy Burnham:The Bill began as a response to the Dilnot report and a reform of social care, but has since taken in major new measures on the NHS. It deals with issues that matter greatly to millions—issues to which that very thin speech we have just heard did not do justice. Worse, it was an inappropriate attempt to turn an occasion such as this into the latest stage of the Secretary of State’s political smear campaign. I refuse to sink to his level, and instead will deal with the important issues before the House today. For clarity, I will take the issues separately—social care, then health…”