Second day of the Finance Bill which Julia Goldsworthy is nobly leading on for us. But the big hoo ha today – Quentin Davies’ defection from Tory benches to Labour. I don’t really know him – other than he has been in the House for 20 odd years. His letter – damning the Tories to hell – is not what Cameron will have wanted on the eve of Gordon’s accession! Spitting and blood are the words that spring to mind.

Not hugely surprised that the Lib Dems have not become his natural home as haven’t truly witnessed a liberal tendency of any kind in his utterances in the House. Politics sure has its moments of high drama. It is quite something to swap parties after twenty years. I try to imagine what it must be like to be so fed up with my own party that I would do such a thing. We all have our frustrations, politically speaking, but this is way out of the natural order of things. I mean, why not wait and simply step down rather than wreak this damage? Not that I am hugely discomforted by seeing the Tories dropping in public esteem – to which no doubt this will contribute. It does feel a bit like a come uppance!