(I can't see why the longest thread takes any longer to download, so long as you click on the numbers in the "Messages" column, and not on the heading in the left hand column - the long threads are broken into 50s, and it opens up on the first 50, with a choice of all the others - so you click on the most recent one, and bingo, it's open - and it keeps the discourse in one place, which is handier.)

The Government's too tied up in all kinds of other stuff to fancy starting the whole thing again, I reckon. They might be more likely to drop it - but, given that the music bit is only a small aspect of it, and the pub hours bit is seen as quite important, I can't see them doing it.

Also the question will arise, how reliable are the Labour MPs? Given that a lot of them are going to be feeling a bit bloody-minded now. The Iraq rebels will have their tails up, and some of the ones who have toed the line on that might like a chance to show that they aren't to be taken for granted, and have some backbone of sorts.

I think it's quite on the cards that the Government will accept the amendments, or most of them anyway, and say that this was what they intended to achieve through the regulations and guidelines anyway.

If the one exempting unamplified music gets through, which I read somewhere is quite likely to be accepted, I'll be very happy. And I think that if that gets through, it'll probably mean that lowish level amplification will be ignored by the authorities in practice. The small premises one would be brilliant, but I can see them pulling the stops out to defeat that one - which puts it back to the Lords.

The thing with the Lords is, there's not much predicting what will happen, because they aren't whippable in the same way as MPs.

Writing to MPs again specifically supporting the non-amplified and small premises amendments is well worth it. I suspect a lot of them are feeling very vulnerable these days, and might fancy some populist stuff about what jolly good sports they are in their local papers., Remember http://www.faxyourmp.com/ - it's free and it lands on their desk in the House tomorrow, looking quite impressive.