Crooked Tories

The government backed down this afternoon on the idea of making MPs' expenses exempt from the Freedom of Information Act.

It looks like Gordon Brown had done a deal with some of the less salubrious Tory backbenchers to force the changes through, but was undone when Cameron made it a whipped vote against. Who was involved? I guess we'll find out when the expenses start to be published.

Update on Jan 21, 2009 by Bishop Hill

Update: The deal may have been done with Sir Michael Spicer, chairman of the 1922 committee. That would mean that it was potentially the majority of the Tory troops.