RISING East Lancashire Tory star Nigel Evans last night defied the government to vote for a longer "cooling off" period before a no-fault divorce.

The Ribble Valley backbencher was one of 165 Tories including 34 ministers who forced the government to lengthen the "cooling off" period from one year to 18 months.

Although the vote was technically a "free vote," considerable pressure was applied to ministers and Parliamentary Private Secretaries such as Mr Evans, to make them tow the government line.

But embarrassingly Cabinet Ministers, Michael Howard, Peter Lilley, Stephen Dorrell and William Hague, led the rebellion.

The vote was a bitter personal blow to Lord Chancellor, Lord Mackay, who has been heavily criticised by the Tory right wing over the Divorce Bill.

But he did succeed in abolishing the concept of fault in divorce and indicated this morning he would not attempt to overturn yesterday's vote.

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