Cameron: Brown more interested in global grandstanding than jobs

In a fiery Commons exchange, David Cameron branded the remarks "crass and insensitive" and accused the Prime Minister of looking complacent in the face of job losses and company closures.

"Wouldn't anyone hearing that conclude that you care more about your global grandstanding than other people's jobs?" he said.

Earlier this week, Mr Brown used a speech to call for better international regulation of the banks, saying that the turmoil should be seen as birth pangs of an improved system. But his remark was likened by critics to ex-chancellor Lord Lamont's infamous claim that unemployment was "a price worth paying". Infuriated, the Prime Minister accused Mr Cameron of playing "a game of student politics" with the economy.

Labour MPs looked downhearted during the clash, which came amid more bad economic news and a series of opinion polls showing voters losing faith in Mr Brown's ability to handle the crisis.

Some Labour ministers now fear that Mr Cameron's recent jibe that the Prime Minister is behaving like a "headless chicken" is hitting home.