Education bill tribulations

With the big vote on the Education Bill approaching it appears that Cameron has played a blinder. Labour rebels aren't being very effectively bought off by the Government (and announcements about pulling out 800 troops made with such fanfare are a pretty feeble effort) and Cameron's robust and public endorsement of the Bill is putting them off even more. Blair's limited the short-term damage by sticking to his (retrenched) guns and not watering it down any more. At least he won't be accused from both sides with that strategy. The biggest risk for him is that it gets MPs used to rebelling - once the line's been crossed it makes it psychologically much easier to do again - and hastens the left's desire for something different. Worst of all it makes it look like the Tories are doing much of the running. With the brouhaha over asylum applications this should all make PMQs tomorrow pretty compelling.

In the meantime, I can't believe I've not come across this blog , Burning our Money, by Wat Tyler until now. Brilliant stuff. It'll be on the blogroll soon.