Our party contains multitudes – and should embrace conservatives from across the ideological spectrum.
Mark Spencer has reportedly rung round to inform them that they have lost the Whip.
Margot James resigned as a minister following her rebellion. Meanwhile, the Chancellor joined Gauke and Clark in failing to support the Government.
Here is a Leader of the Opposition who cannot see an open goal without tapping the ball gently in the wrong direction.
Gove, Stewart and perhaps others too could see their standing and prospects damaged this afternoon.
It passed its Third Reading by a single vote. Now the former Labour Minister’s anti-No Deal Bill is off to the Lords.
The list includes the three who resigned from the Government this evening – and Green, one of the Prime Minister’s oldest allies.
The proposal was rejected by 314 votes to 311. Boles, Gyimah, Spelman and Vaizey were among those to rebel. Plus Brine and Harrington.
By longstanding convention the Speaker casts his vote for the status quo. But would he?
Halfon and Stevenson join the Europhile ultras in a very near miss for the Government.
Several Ministers helped to see off the Government’s best hope of avoiding a full-on crisis in the Party – and perhaps of saving Brexit too.
There aren’t any surprises here, although on a grim night the Government at least appear to have talked two of its original signatories out of backing it.