Gordon Brown's Waking Nightmare

We know Gordon Brown thinks he has saved the world, but does it require so much legwork? Yesterday he handled prime minister's questions hours after getting back from a trip to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Poland. No wonder he looked as if he desperately needed sleep.

After questions, he had to reveal plans for Afghanistan. The Speaker announced "Statement, the prime minister" but he was already halfway to the door. He wheeled unwillingly round, then moments later accused the Taliban of "carrying out innocent attacks on innocent civilians ..."

I suspect he is at that state of tiredness when it becomes impossible to distinguish between dreaming and waking. You could imagine him starting up in bed and saying to Sarah: "I've just had this terrible dream - I had to make a statement but I'd forgotten all about it, then I called the Taliban 'innocent' ..." He shudders, and she makes a mental note to give him a milky drink at night, possibly laced with Temazepam.

And on top of everything, he suffered a humiliating defeat over residence rights for Gurkhas. Joanna Lumley hit him over the head with a metaphorical bottle of Bolly as the Commons voted by a comfy majority against the government's plans.

Gurkhas were the main topic at question time as labor MPs waded in, furiously. Martin Salter (Reading West) described going to the funeral of a Gurkha veteran who had died in "abject poverty" while waiting to see if he could be allowed to stay here. "He would have faced deportation under the guidelines announced on Friday."

Mr Brown could only mutter about reviewing the situation. Then Nick Clegg stood up. Normally this is a signal for everyone to stop listening, relax and ponder lunch. This time the Lib Dem leader actually grabbed MPs' attention as he spoke with ferocious anger.

The prime minister was being "deeply, deeply evasive". How could it be "honest and decent" to claim that far more Gurkhas would be allowed to stay than the rules permit? "Can you not see that there is a simple moral principle at stake, that if someone is prepared to die for this country, surely they deserve to live in this country?"

The prime minister insisted again that 4,000 - not 100 - would be allowed to stay, which - with their families - makes 10,000. We were short of money, can't do everything at once, and so forth.

Mr Clegg shot back that this was "shameful" - the answer of a government which had neither principles nor courage.

Four hours later the house voted for Mr Clegg's motion to allow the Gurkhas to stay. Outside, in Parliament Square, now a permanent multi-issue protest encampment, someone must have had a radio because a great cheer rose almost instantly.

I just hope that the prime minister gets his head down for a good 10 hours and sorts out his synapses.