Some of Labour’s biggest names failed to turn up to vote last night against “the hated bedroom tax”. Chuka, Bryant, Douglas Alexander, Margaret Hodge even Ed Balls were absent, rendering them unable to ever speak convincingly on the issue ever again.

The full list is here:

Diane Abbott, Debbie Abrahams, Douglas Alexander, Jonathan Ashworth, Edward Balls, Hugh Bayley, David Blunkett, Gordon Brown, Chris Bryant, Ann Coffey, Geraint Davies, Gloria De Piero, Jim Dobbin, Frank Dobson, Brian H Donohoe, Frank Doran, Clive Efford, Frank Field, Paul Flynn, Mike Gapes, David Hamilton, Margaret Hodge, Jimmy Hood, Lindsay Hoyle, Siân James, Alan Johnson, Tessa Jowell, Gerald Kaufman, David Lammy, Ian Lucas, Siobhain McDonagh, Ann McKechin, Alan Meale, Meg Munn, Jim Murphy, Pamela Nash, Dawn Primarolo, Joan Ruddock, Anas Sarwar, John Spellar, Gerry Sutcliffe, Chuka Umunna, Joan Walley, Dave Watts, Alan Whitehead, Shaun Woodward.

No doubt some were paired, though if it is as evil, pernicious and as hated as they claim you would have thought they might want to put their names to opposing it. It almost as if yesterday’s vote was an empty gimmick…

UPDATE: Following a complaint from Labour’s Barry Sheerman MP about the use of a stock photo, above is an actual picture of the Opposition benches during the debate. Hardly heaving…