I have just stumbled across an excellent blog which records the dissenting actions of backbenchers who disobey their whips called Revolts.

Its most recent post describes how in less than an hour of Gordon Brown leaving Buckingham Palace last Wednesday, Labour’s first rebel MP Austin Mitchell voted against the government.

He defied the Labour whip and voted with the Tories and Lib Dems during a division on New Clause 4 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill in what was  the first ever division to take place under the Brown regime.

It was spotted by rebellion-watcher Philip Cowley of Nottingham University, (I’m beginning to like this university even more!). He is part of an academic research team looking at the way MPs and peers votes.

Researchers have also analysed the actions of defecting Conservative MPs following Quentin Davies’ change of colours in an article called “it’s voice, not vote”. It concludes that it’s not how many times MPs vote against their party that counts, but what they say when they openly voice their criticism.

And which Labour MP last week voted against the government for the 300th time? The answer is here. But according to Revolts, that is not good reason enough to make him defect.