Ed Miliband has seized on reports that David Cameron had a bust-up with one of his own MPs to remind the prime minister of his habit of losing his temper.
"Last night he lost control of his party and not for the first time he lost his temper as well," the Labour leader said during prime minister's questions on Wednesday. "Because we understand it was fisticuffs in the lobby with the member for Hereford and South Hertfordshire."
Following a large Tory rebellion against plans to reform the House of Lords last night, the prime minister was reported to have exchanged angry words with backbencher Jesse Norman, "pointing and prodding" at him.
Cameron told MPs that it was "utterly pathetic" that all Miliband could talk about was "tittle tattle and rumour" and "half baked gossip" - not exactly a denial that the incident took place.
Miliband hit back: "The redder he gets the less he convinces people. He didn't just lose the confidence of his party last night, he is losing the confidence of the country."
The line gave Cameron the chance to resurrect his attack on Miliband for being too left wing. "There is only one person who is red around here and that is Red Ed running the Labour Party."
However on this occasion it was neither the leader of the opposition or the prime minister who let their emotions get the better of them, with backbencher Anne Marie Morris, with one arm in a sling, launching into a red-faced loyalist rant that left observers bemused and the parliamentary Hansard writers at a loss.