Hysterical scenes in the Commons this afternoon as MPs’ misunderstanding of nicknames and Northern accents somehow managed to turn “Operation Save Big Dog” into “Operation Shag a Dog”. Yet another unexpected Hansard entry for the books…

It all started when Labour MP Jim McMahon claimed “Operation Shaggy Dog [was] in full force” – itself a misquote of the original phrase – with Tory MP Jerome Mayhew then mishearing McMahon through his thick northern accent and responding with “I think the operation wasn’t called Operation Shag a Dog … perhaps he would care to correct that.” Paul Bristow could barely watch. Someone on the Labour benches could even be heard telling Mayhew to “learn Northern”…