Lock the Doors! |

Wednesday 25th January 2012 | 08:57

Lock the Doors!

Lib Dem local government minister Andrew Stunell is viewed by many colleagues across the House as an amiable cove.

But a certain haplessness afflicted the minister during a vote on an amendment to the Local Government Finance Bill last night.

Stunell had wanted to fill up his ministerial carafe of water for the despatch box and decided to go into the loo in the Members' lobby to do so.

One MP joked that Stunell clutched the empty bottle like a man who was ready 'to give a urine sample'. As it happens, the urine is what Labour proceeded to take out of the minister.

Because Stunell's ill-timed trip to the toilet came as the vote started, he ended up locked in the lobby. The doorkeepers did what they do - and followed the Deputy Speaker's order to 'lock the doors!'

The incident delayed the vote and caused much hilarity among Labour MPs.

Jamie Reed, possibly the most entertaining Shadow ministerial Tweeter (catch him at @jreedmp while you can, he's so good the account may have to be suspended), couldn't resist the mockery.

With Stunell looking like he was going to have to vote against his own bill, Reed claimed that Tory minister Simon Burns had told his colleague to stay put.

"In the words of Simon Burns, like the spurned lover behind glass in a prison film, "Stay there Andrew! They can't make you go through!"'

Reed added: "As they say in the trade, ROFL and LMAO, and of course, LOL."

UPDATE: Reed has seized in inimitable fashion on the news this morning that Mick Jagger has pulled out of a Davos event with the PM. The Stones' frontman was appalled by the way his help was described in The Sun as backing for the Tories.

Using a line that I suspect may be used by Ed Miliband (if the growth stats get too heavy going) at PMQs, Reed tweeted this morning:

"Dave has egg on his face with Sir Mick. Again. Jumping Jack Flashman. You'd think he'd learn."

'Jumping Jack Flashman'. Get the man on the PMQs gag committee.

FURTHER UPDATE: Political Scrapbook now have a pic of the above incident. I suspect the Speaker won't be amused by whichever MP took the snap tho. Very much against the rules

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