• David Cameron endured a torrid post-conference return to Westminster this week, over Andrew Mitchell, Rebekah Brooks and his muddled announcement on energy bills.
The prime minister continues to stand by the Tory chief whip, who remains in office - opening the door for Ed Miliband to launch a blistering attack on them both at PMQs yesterday - comparing Mitchell's treatment to that which would befall a yob who'd sworn at police ("while it's a night in the cell for yobs, it's a night at the Carlton Club for the chief whip"), saying under Cameron "there’s one rule for those at the top, one rule for everyone else". Watch the video of the exchange and read the full transcript here.
A ghost from the past also came back to trouble the Tory leader this week - with the revelation of 'secret' emails between himself and Rebekah Brooks, an issue also raised at PMQs; read more on the messages hidded from the Leveson Inquiry, and watch Chris Bryant's question to the PM here.
And policy-wise, today he had to witness what was meant to be a popular, good news story about cheaper energy bills unravel before his eyes, to widespread mockery from the press and opposition, with some comparing it to classic "The Thick of It" farce; for more on the actual policy implications