By Bagehot
AT the time of writing, government sources are predicting that David Cameron is about to suffer a “chunky” rebellion over his refusal to grant the public a referendum on leaving the European Union, staying in or seeking a looser trade-based relationship with Europe, involving scores of Conservative MPs. Your blogger watched the debate kick off from the press gallery in the House of Commons, and the mood of the rebels was strikingly grim—even anguished in some cases—rather than celebratory. Some new MPs are going to wreck their careers tonight: it is reported that the whips have made clear that anyone voting for the motion can forget preferment in this parliament, and perhaps even forget help from the government if a major round of boundary changes leaves them fighting to keep their seats.
