Jeremy Corbyn came to Prime Minister's Questions hot off the train from addressing the TUC conference.
But the public sector pay rise did not appear to be on his agenda immediately as his six questions focused more broadly on the cost of living, asking questions ranging from benefits for disabled people and in work poverty to student fees.
The weekly sparring event is the last before the Commons breaks for three weeks of party conferences, starting with the Liberal Democrats' on Saturday.
One Conservative MP remarked to David Cameron last week about the lack of humour and passion at PMQs since his departure.
'It's all too serious, where is the fun?' he said according to the Times' Red Box.
But one rare moment of passion came when Theresa May spoke of female genital mutilation.
'This is abhorrent,' she said. 'We cannot tolerate this.
'We do need to do more to ensure that young girls are not subject to this horrific procedure.'
The SNP MP for Aberdeen North, Kirsty Blackman, raised the conflicts in Nigeria, which affect many Christians.
Just last week Islamic Fulani herdsman murdered 20 Christians, 19 of them from the same Baptist church and one from a Methodist church in the village of Ancha in Plateau State.
The Prime Minister's response focused on support for Nigeria's economy but did not mention the ongoing killings of Christians.
