Each morning CCHQ emails MPs a news summary outlining which stories appeared on the previous night’s news bulletins, with a “verdict” on how the coverage fared for the government. On Sunday Guido revealed the internal view on tax credits was “verdict: government loss”. The private admission that the Tories were being killed on tax credits was included in the memo no fewer than five times.

This morning’s email bounced into inboxes with a round-up of the coverage of last night’s defeat. Curiously, since Guido’s story, the “verdict” section has been scrapped. Not that MPs will be in any doubt that it was a resounding “government loss”…