Killing the boundaries but not the coalition

Nick Clegg will give a statement this afternoon on the House of Lords Reform Bill, and what will happen next. Number 10 was understandably cagey at this morning’s lobby briefing about stealing the Deputy Prime Minister’s thunder before he speaks, but the Prime Minister’s official spokesman gave some answers to questions about the boundary reforms that were still quite telling. Asked about the threats that Liberal Democrats have been making to scupper the reforms as revenge for the failure of the Lords legislation, the spokesman said:

‘It’s something the Commons has already taken a view on, and the process is that it will come back later this year.’

Asked whether the vote on the boundary reforms would be whipped, he said:

‘Look, we are still waiting for the commission’s proposals to come back, so I do not think we have said anything about the timetable for that vote.