OH God, Kemi Badenoch, the Leader of the Opposition, wasn’t trying to flirt with Andy Burnham at his first Prime Minister’s Questions, was she?

Bad news, it looked like she was — and wanted to congratulate him on: “His stamina.”

Politicians laughing and smiling during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons.Kemi Badenoch caught blushing Andy Burnham off guard with her comments about his stamina Credit: House of Commons A man in glasses and a suit, speaking and smiling at Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons.The Prime Minister gave the Conservative leader the exact reaction she was looking for Credit: House of Commons / BlackFrame

“Three hours he lasted, yesterday,” she continued, while all the time the cost of borrowing was rising and rising and rising.

At which point turned beetroot red — the exact reaction Kemi wanted.

Her sweet-talking was, of course, nothing but a political trap.

“And in all that time, can he name a single spending request for which he answered ‘No’?”

started to bluster: “Well, what I can say to the Right Honourable Lady is…”

So we’ll take that as “no” then, because Burnham is an old-school socialist fool who could no more turn down a spending request and lower taxes than he could cycle off the end of Brighton pier and land in .

looked nervous and out of his depth in his new job, which was evident by the number of times his hands fidgeted and he mentioned his comfort blanket “Manchester”.

It would be less worrying if he understood basic economics and could talk himself out of trouble.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham speaking during his first Prime Minister's Questions, with cabinet members listening.The PM looked nervous and out of his depth in his new job Credit: PA Prime Minister Andy Burnham speaking during his first Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons.Burnham was rattled by Badenoch’s questions about Labour’s spending promises Credit: PA

But Burnham can do neither and was so on spending and tax that, at one point, he came dangerously close to calling her “my lady”.

Kemi’s problem is she’s inextricably linked to past failures — a point made by the man who wants to “end cheap political point-scoring”.

“The Leader of the Opposition is on record saying ‘ is 100 per cent right’.

“What other thing can I say, Mr Speaker, than God help us?”

Indeed, God help us all.