The Conservative Party's new leader Michael Howard was involved in rowdy exchanges with Tony Blair today, as the two clashed at their first Prime Minister's Question Time.
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Each taunted the other about their past record and Mr Howard also sought toexploit the reported rift between Mr Blair and Chancellor Gordon Brown.
Tory MPs left the Commons chamber cheered by what they felt was a robustperformance by Mr Howard, who was elected unopposed as their leader last week.
Mr Blair also appeared to relish the exchanges. He told Mr Howard: "I welcomeyou to your new position and say how delighted I am that someone written offduring the last Conservative Government is given the chance of rehabilitatinghimself under Labour."
Mr Howard used his questions to challenge Mr Blair on how much administrationcosts in Whitehall had risen under his premiership.
The Tory leader has said he wants to pay for any tax cuts he may promise bycutting bureaucracy in Government departments.