A 'weak and feeble' Prime Minister and 'same old' Tory leader trade bitter insults

Michael Howard condemned Tony Blair as "simply unequal to the task" of governing Britain when he used the first big clash between them to unleash a withering tirade against the Prime Minister and his Government.

But Mr Blair opened fire on the new Tory leader's record in government, insisting that "on almost every occasion when there was a serious crime against this country the Right Honourable Gentleman was on the scene".

The two men traded bitterly personal attacks as they confronted each other at the start of the Queen's Speech debate. Charles Kennedy, the Liberal Democrat leader, also went on the attack, arguing that the disappointment after Labour's first term in office was "increasingly turning into a sense of despair". He called the Government's programme "a tired Queen's Speech from a tired Government".

Mr Howard lambasted Mr Blair as beholden to the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, and unable to control his party. He said: "Never in recent history has a Prime Minister been so weak, so feeble, so utterly unable to do what he wants. And all this with a huge majority in this House. How utterly humiliating and how very damaging for our country."

He added: "This Government was elected with great promise and a sweeping mandate. It had the world at its feet and a vast parliamentary army ready to carry forward whatever measures it proposed. And what has happened? In the words of Paul Daniels: not a lot!" Mr Howard said: "They approach every problem with an open wallet and an empty mind. They are taxing and spending and failing. After six and a half years, this is a Prime Minister who has lost his grip and a Government which has lost its way. They are running out of steam and they know it."

He told Mr Blair: "We're about to embark on the seventh parliamentary session since you became Prime Minister. You've been in office longer than Attlee. And what have you got to show for it?" He attacked as "despicable" proposals to put children of failed asylum-seekers into care if they do not leave the country voluntarily, saying: "They have gone further than any civilised government should go."

He mocked Labour for abandoning its election pledge not to introduce top-up fees and repeatedly challenged Labour MPs to state their opposition to the policy. He said: "What happened to that pledge in 2001, just two years ago, that 'we will not introduce top-up fees' ... perhaps the Prime Minister will explain what happened here. What was it a misprint?"

Mr Howard also went on the attack over the Government's refusal to call a referendum on the proposed European constitution. He said there was confusion at the heart of Government because of splits between Mr Blair and Mr Brown and he mocked the Prime Minister's national consultation exercise, launched yesterday.

Mr Howard said: "We all know the real conversation that the Prime Minister needs to have. He needs to have a conversation with his next door neighbour Gordon Brown. The current situation makes you wonder who's the leader and who's being led. Real Prime Ministers lead their Chancellors. He follows his."

But Mr Blair launched an attack on Mr Howard's record over unemployment, the poll tax and police numbers. He said: "Not even Paul Daniels can make that record disappear ... his crimes were in Government and six and a half years in opposition is not long enough for him." Mr Blair mocked Mr Howard's reinvention as an inclusive Conservative with "something of the day about him".

He accused Mr Howard of mounting "a ceaselessly negative attack without anything positive to say about the future of this country". He said: "I thought it was the most predictable speech that we could have had from him. He may want to pose as the nice Dr Jekyll, we know deep down he is still the same old Mr Howard." Mr Blair attacked Conservative policies as taking Britain backwards and imposing a "dead weight" on the health services.

He defended government proposals on university top-up fees, insisting that "the proposed reforms on university funding are vital for the future of this country". He added that they were also "vital to keep Britain at the top economically and not put all the burden on the general taxpayer; vital to open access to university education for more and more children".

Alex Salmond, leader of the Scottish National Party at Westminster, said every party in the Scottish Parliament opposed top-up fees. He asked: "How do you justify dragooning Scottish Labour MPs into the lobbies to vote for top-up fees in England?".

Mr Kennedy said: "At the last general election, people thought that Labour was a disappointment but were prepared to give them another chance. None of this is going to raise their spirits. In fact most of these measures will probably pass them by completely.

"What people want are better schools and hospitals, to feel safe on their streets and reliable public transport. Instead, the Government is determined to force through unpopular tuition fees, which put students from modest backgrounds off going to university. Top-up fees will only make the problem far worse. This could be the last full session before the next general election and it begs the question, 'What has this second term really achieved?' "