They wait until the doors unlocked and then she is taken to hospital – its unlikely as I believe she is only 37 weeks and is having an early c – section due to gestational diabetes. She will be in a wheelchair apparently and her husband as near as possible.

I have got that wrong actually – she will probably (as just discussed in the commons) be nodded through by the clerks rather than physically going into the voting lobby. They may be other MP’s ill as well being nooded through- possibly while in ambulances like in the 1970’s.

This row has now intensified after Comments by Kemi Badenoch, who is a Conservative vice chair, have lead to a furious backlash from Labour Mp’s.

I mean, obviously what shes says is completely indefensible, but there’s a Machiavellian side to me that applauds the sheer brazenness of her comments.

She’s developing a reputation for being an idiot with delusions of grandeur – but I also feel she’s a decently skilled provocateur.

Badenoch is articulate but is so staggeringly pleased with herself that I personally find it hard to warm to her. I do think she has a bright future…her constituency (Saffron Walden) is one of the most bombproof Tory seats in the country. She is able so watch this space.

Oh yeah, she’s not likable but she is good at what she does.

PT – but true (what she said).

Kemi Badenoch is 100% correct, though it pains me greatly to say so.

Anybody who puts voting in the Commons above the wellbeing of their unborn child is frankly a vile human being unworthy of being a parent. If that means telling the whips to f*** off then so be it.

But as Badenoch says, there are literally dozens of Tories who would have been more than willing to pair with her and would not have broken their word. A gent like my own MP Soames would have done so in a heartbeat. But in any case it’s not like the vote was close, nor was it ever likely to be. A pathetic display of political grandstanding and virtue signalling.

Whether you agree or not, I thought it was a conservative principle that people can be trusted to make their own life decisions and shouldn’t be judged for doing so?

I think Part of Tulip’s decision was internal Labour Politics to increase her chances of not being deselected. Obviously wouldn’t publicly mention that.

Might not save her. Nick Boles discharged himself from chemotherapy to vote for Article 50, and local members are still going after him.

“I thought it was a conservative principle that people can be trusted to make their own life decisions”

It’s not just her life though is it, it’s that of her unborn child. I suspect like most parents, I don’t understand her mentality at all. Battling through your own personal illness to vote like Boles, well that’s entirely different.

I’m not aware there is any threat of deselection in Hampstead & Kilburn

I think that the situation maybe due to the pairing system having broken down. There were NO pairings in the VoNC, despite Siddiques predicament and the serious ill health of Lab’s Paul Fynn.

Pairing has usually been suspended in votes of no confidence which are expected to be relatively close. I agree some form of proxy voting for the genuinely infirm would be a positive development, as long as it wasn’t misused by those who are simply being lazy.

I’d be very disappointed if two gentlemanly Tories were not willing to abstain to counteract the votes of Flynn and Siddique, as Bernard Weatherill informally agreed to do in the infamous 1979 vote which brought down Callaghan.