Hat-tip to Iain Dale for picking up this one – a row last night between the government chief whip, Patrick McLoughlin, and the speaker, John Bercow. It arose over Tory concerns about Bercow being what they thought was over-helpful to a Labour whip on a procedural matter.

McLoughlin made an inaudible comment to Bercow who responded in a manner that I cannot recall ever happening before.

It strikes me that the hostility is moving into very dangerous territory for both angered Tory MPs and for Bercow himself. Many of the former think that the latter is biased against them – something that’s not helped by his wife Sally being so openly hostile.

But Bercow is the speaker and open flare-ups are not going to make things better.

You just wonder where this is all going to end up. Bercow, however, is the incumbent and I can’t see Cameron sanctioning a move against him.

Mike Smithson