Whipping, Nad Dorries, and other odd perversions

I'm going to be working at home today, largely because my internet connection was so ropey yesterday that the laptop was in danger of being hurled out of the window and onto Parliament Street below.

Nonetheless, it's nice to see that in my absence the Embryology Bill has brought out the inner Bernstein and Woodward in some of our more excitable right-wing bloggers. Nadine Dorries:

"The Labour whips were all over the place yesterday herding MPs into the right lobby. To the annoyance of many Labour MPs."

Really? Iain Dale picks up on the story but is corrected by Labour's Tom Harris MP who calls "bullshit" on Nad's accusation of eeeeeeeevil whips herding MPs desperate to vote against BABY MOIDER into the lobby that leadeth to eternal damnation:

"Iain, I'm sorry but you're wrong. Government whips were involved because it was government business. I decided to abstain on saviour siblings tonight. Not one whip approached me in advance to ask my intention or to strong arm me. Similarly, although I have publicly stated I will support moves to lower the abortion time limit, I have received absolutely no pressure from any whip to do otherwise. I'm afraid that on this occasion there is no evidence at all to sustain a conspiracy theory that there is control freakery at work. Quite the opposite, I can assure you."

WHOOPS! Nadine appears to be caught bang-to-rights - again - on being somewhat creative with the truth ... and this MP appears to be on her side so she can't even yell "he consorteth with succubi/feminist movement" (strike one according to prejudice) in her defence. Interestingly - via the Devils Kitchen - for Nadine's contention that this is not about limiting women's choice but is about foetal viability comes this quote from last year on the issue of abortion:

"You are right about one thing, I do want to go lower than 20 weeks—I would settle for the European average of 13 weeks, but would prefer 9."

So it's only about foetal viability?

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PS: Iain Dale, in his post, says that the three line on attendance today means that "those who would have abstained will be herded through the 24 lobby to save Brown's face and keep the status quo. That's how scared they are of the 20 week option winning."

Er, no. They merely have to register their abstention by nipping through both the aye and the no lobby as is David Taylor MP's preferred modus operandi. I'm sure Phil will correct me if I'm wrong on this, but it seems to me that no bugger's forcing any Labour MP to do anything they don't want to on this vote - more's the pity in my view - in spite of the swivel-eyed desire of the right-wing to see the dark hand of Buff Hoon and his whips operating behind the scenes.