Received a very interesting analysis of the vote on my bill to reduce the legal date for abortion from 24 to 21 weeks from Philip Cowley a lecturer at the University of Nottingham. Philip is the person journalists turn to whenever there is a Commons revolt and is now the recognised academic on MPs voting behaviour.

His paper depressingly states that ‘The abortion vote did yet again confirm the overall importance of party, even when the whip is off’

Apparently, it is also ‘the first legislative attempt by a woman MP to reduce the availability of abortion’. I didn’t know that!