Like kids going up a year on the first day of school, Sir Keir Starmer and Sir Lindsay Hoyle are still getting used to a changed House of Commons.
Addressing his first session of Prime Minister’s Questions after the summer break, Sir Keir twice referred to Rishi Sunak as “the prime minister”. Mr Sunak was also called that by the Speaker.
The soon-to-depart Conservative leader is no longer our leader, of course. Voters decided otherwise in July, when they issued an emphatic lecture sending the Tories into a long period of detention after 14 years of rule over the Commons playground.
Along to Mr Sunak’s right (figuratively and physically) was Kemi Badenoch. She is one of six contenders bidding to take his place, and the depleted ranks of Tory MPs will hold their first vote later.
Sir Keir, assailed by Mr Sunak and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey over his plan to restrict winter fuel payments for pensioners, was on firmer ground in noting that Ms Badenoch herself had supported means-testing the benefit.
The combative shadow housing secretary chuntered from the opposition front bench. But for once she was unable to land a blow - it is now Labour who occupy the bully pulpit of power.
PMQs began with both Sir Keir and Mr Sunak noting the landmark publication of the official report into the Grenfell tragedy, and the session was followed by the Labour leader, addressing a hushed Commons, issuing an apology to the victims.
Another would-be Tory leader, James Cleverly, tweeted that the report showed that the disaster was “completely avoidable” and lessons must be learned.
The same James Cleverly, at his campaign launch on Monday, called for a “one in, two out” approach to new regulation to cut red tape.
The report was even more damning about the cladding companies and architects involved in a refurbishment before the fire, and about Kensington and Chelsea council.
But we were reminded with the Grenfell report that one person’s red tape is another person’s life-saving protection.
The inquiry laid bare that Conservative ministers in the old communities department were so enthusiastic about deregulation “that even matters affecting the safety of life were ignored, delayed or disregarded".
The report’s publication marked a sombre overture to PMQs. Nobody was getting the name of Grenfell wrong.
