The dubious means by which Labour hopes to ban hunting by Christmas

There has been a remarkable new buoyancy among Labour MPs this week. This can be partly accounted for by the apparent improvement in Iraq, England’s footballing triumph over Croatia — and the fact that the government has not yet woken up to the full scale of the humiliation that awaits it at next month’s Leicester South by-election.

But for many Labour MPs the new mood of optimism has nothing to do with any of these things. It is entirely related to last Thursday’s promise from Peter Hain, leader of the House of Commons, concerning the Hunting Bill. ‘We have received an assurance from Peter Hain,’ said Sir Gerald Kaufman later, ‘which I trust totally.’

There was a faint but unmistakable note of menace in Sir Gerald’s words. Failure by Tony Blair to deliver a hunting ban this year would lead to an explosion in the Labour party. But that is unlikely to happen.