Second time lucky for whips?

Labour whips will be trying hard to get it right today as the Government attempts to undo an embarrassing Commons defeat from last month.

They had planned to hold the first meeting of the East Midlands Grand Committee – comprised of every MP in the region – in Nottingham on September 9.

But Labour hadn’t consulted with opposition parties over the date and when it came to a Commons vote to approve it there weren’t enough red MPs in the chamber.

The motion was defeated by 104 votes to 98 – prompting jubilant cheers from Tories and Liberal Democrats and calls of "what a shambles".

Labour will try and approve the meeting for exactly the same date again this evening