THE GOVERNMENT'S divorce law reforms look doomed, and with them the concept of quick, no-fault divorce.
For while last night's revolt, involving more than 100 Tories and a whole bunch of ministers, was on the back of a free vote in the Commons, the government remains deeply embarrassed - because the survival of this Bill now depends entirely on the Opposition.
John Major, with his wafer-thin majority, cannot afford to hand Tony Blair the gift of inflicting another defeat on the government in the future.
And those MPs who see the Divorce Bill as a threat to family values may yet see their cause won.
But this will only be for pragmatic political reasons as the government takes the precaution of putting this measure on ice until after the general election.
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