On Second Reading

The Labour MPs who voted against the Lords Reform Bill:

1. Adrian Bailey

2. Kevin Barron

3. Margaret Beckett

4. Stuart Bell

5. David Blunkett

6. Ronnie Campbell

7. Ann Clwyd

8. Jim Cunningham

9. Jim Dowd

10. Frank Field

11. Mike Gapes

12. Dai Havard

13. Stephen Hepburn

14. Kate Hoey

15. Kelvin Hopkins

16. George Howarth

17. Gerald Kaufman

18. Siobhain McDonagh

19. Andrew Miller

20. Madeleine Moon

21. Geoffrey Robinson

22. Frank Roy

23. Barry Sheerman

24. Dennis Skinner

25. Graham Stringer

26. Derek Twigg

There were also some interesting abstentions. And this is a remarkable list, Left and Right, Old Labour and New Labour. It reflects the clear feeling all the way across the Parliamentary Labour Party.

The list of 91 Conservatives contained literally no one who could ever have been a Minister in this Government, most of whom must surely have known it. Being a PPS is neither here nor there.

In spite of which, certainly if Labour had voted against Second Reading, and probably if Labour had merely abstained, then there would probably have been fewer than 30 Conservative rebels, and certainly fewer than 40. There were 91 rebels because Ed Miliband gave them permission.

There will be nothing like that many at Third Reading, especially if Labour either abstains or, as is far more likely, votes against the final signing off of a Bill such as neither Lewis Carroll nor Monty Python could possibly have conceived.

Sir George Young withdrew the Programme Motion in order to spare his colleagues' exposure as all talk, since as few as 20, if that, would actually have voted with Labour.

The 26 above, several of whom would not have acted in this way without prior clearance, have expressed the real Labour attitude to this dog's breakfast of a Bill. But denying it Second Reading would have spoiled all the fun. That fun will now begin. Indeed, it has already begun.