PMQs: Out with the old, in with the older?

It was the end of an era in the House of Commons this afternoon when Acting Labour Leader Harriet Harman stood at the Despatch Box for the final time at Prime Minister's Questions. 

Next week, after 28 years on her party's front bench, she will be replaced by Labour's newly-elected leader with Jeremy Corbyn the bookies' stand-out favourite. 

What impact this will have on British politics in general and Her Majesty's Official Opposition in particular is anyone's guess. 

At 66-years-old, Mr Corbyn is a year older than Ms Harman - meaning he'll be 71 at the next General Election. 

But, rather than his age, it's his unashamed socialist policies which are the cause of greater alarm for many of his more mainstream Labour colleagues.

For them it was Ed Miliband's insistence of taking his party to the left which did for Labour in May.  The idea of adopting a raft of policies with a much deeper red hue has left them in even greater despair.

At today's PMQs, Harriet Harman looked every bit the statesman as she concentrated her six questions on the Syrian refugee crisis - drawing worthy tribute from David Cameron in an unusually civilised exchange.

Whether the Prime Minister will be as serious or respectful to her successor next Wednesday is very much in doubt.