The lobby fodder is revolting

Tony Blair suffered his first Commons defeat since 1997

		By Nyta Mann BBC News Online political correspondent

Labour's backbench champions of subjecting the executive to tougher scrutiny are congratulating themselves.

Not only did they succeed in overturning the government's mega-majority to reject the sacking of a pair of "unhelpful" select committee chairs who had proved too independent for Labour whips' liking.

Their unprecedented revolt also gave Prime Minister Tony Blair an extremely rare taste of parliamentary defeat - his first since coming to power in 1997.

After four years of acting as docile lobby fodder, Labour MPs - far beyond the usual suspects - have shown that there are, after all, circumstances in which they are willing to just say no.

It must also be said, though, that the particular circumstances of Monday's revolt were among the easiest for an MP to exercise their independence.

Safe mutiny to be a part of

Ministers had got their excuses in early for a possible defeat: scenting serious rebellion, Leader of the House Robin Cook had insisted ahead of the debate that the proposed select committee membership was a matter for a free vote.

John Edmonds: Warned against "privatisation by the front door"

Don't believe it. While there may have been no official whip on for what is usually a Commons formality rubber-stamping the nomination, backbenchers were in no doubt as to where their duty lay.

That so many of them chose to do their own thing is a small sign of their determination not to be as easily taken for granted during Labour's second term, as they were for its first.

As mutinies go, however, this was a safe one to be a part of. The truer test of whether they are really willing to flex their parliamentary muscle still lies ahead.

Monday's votes were essentially about the workings of parliament and the legislature's scrutiny of the executive. It will be rebellion of a very different order for Labour MPs to reject issues of policy that Mr Blair is determined to see through the Commons.

Greater conflict to come

On the same day that well over 100 Labour MPs filed through the Noes lobby against their whips' wishes, noises off the parliamentary stage gave notice of the far greater conflict to come over Mr Blair's plans for more private sector involvement in the public services.

Just as great a number of his backbenchers as rebelled on Monday are profoundly suspicious of the prime minister's as yet hazy proposals for the education and health services.

It is the trade unions that are taking up arms at this early stage of the battle against what GMB leader John Edmonds has warned amounts to privatisation by the front door.

But the fight will in time reach the Commons chamber, where Labour MPs will have to come down on one side or the other.

For now, however, they have moved to disprove the accusation that a pre-condition for election as a New Labour MP is the surgical removal of a candidate's backbone.