Political Focus, with Bill Jacobs

LABOUR'S vast army of new back benchers are in for a shock next week.

Their honeymoon at Westminster is over. Next week they start work in earnest.

For on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday they face three-line whips - orders to vote on pain of serious disciplinary action if they fail.

In addition, the 10 o' clock rule where most debates end with a vote at 10pm has been suspended. That means that votes will continue through the night until government business is finished.

To make life worse on at least two days, the whip will be a 'running three liner' - which means that instead of votes at 7pm and 10pm and other appointed times, votes may happen at any point, requiring the MPs to be physically present within the precincts of the Palace of Westminster or in a pub or restaurant served by a Division Bell so they can be called back to vote.

Already, the corridors of the Commons are rocking with the laughter of old hands at the naivety of Labour's new boys and girls.

There was the new MP who asked if he could take his laptop computer and research assistant into the Commons Chamber. One can just imagine speaker Betty Boothroyd's likely reaction if he did! Another new boy went to the whips and asked: "How do I get a ministerial job?" One of Labour's secret police was only just prevented from telling him to go and ask cabinet ministers, Prime Minister Tony Blair's press secretary Alistair Campbell and the cabinet secretary for an application form.

One new female MP baulked at being asked to wait for a third vote one evening, saying she had more important things to do. Once again a few well chosen words from the whip persuaded her that she did not.

And another new MP stalked into the Labour Party Manager's office demanding to know when he was required to be in the Commons to vote, adding the rider: "I'm a very busy man you know."

He was politely but very firmly told that next week he should enter into his diary for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the words "In London".

As one senior party figure put it: "Next week our new MPs find out what they are here for. They are here to vote through the Government's programme.

"That was what they were elected for, and that is what they will do.

"It will be a bit of a shock for them and it will be a pretty brutal and bruising week but it's better to do it now and get them knocked into shape right at the beginning."

While Labour MPs are learning about Government, the Tories are learning some hard lessons about being in opposition. And a harsh lesson about electing your leader while not on the government benches is dawning on some of them. So it is very likely that whoever is chosen in next months, the Tory leadership election may have a second vote very shortly afterwards.

So far only two contenders - Shadow Chancellor Kenneth Clarke and ex-Welsh Secretary William Hague, who has the backing of Ribble Valley Tory Nigel Evans - have offered to put themselves up for any form of popular endorsement by ordinary party workers. Now that the 1922 committee which runs the Parliamentary Conservative Party has ruled out any say for rank and file activists, the vote will involve just the rump of 164 MPs left in parliament.

With any MP able to launch a leadership challenge on an annual basis, one senior Tory figure sees a future of divisive and wearying reruns.

He said: "I'm not sure that another bitterly fought leadership battle will do anything to improve our chances of re-election next time around."

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