Rolling coverage of all today's political developments as they happen, including PMQs and the Commons debate on Jeremy Hunt
Here's some Twitter comment on today's vote.
From Tory MP Gavin Barwell
Lib Dem MPs should think about precedent they're setting today. What happens if Con MPs abstain next time Labour target a Lib Dem Minister?
— Gavin Barwell MP (@GavinBarwellMP) June 13, 2012
From the Guardian's Patrick Wintour
Lib Dems say they cannot vote with Labour because they lied about the Iraq war but Labour is led by a leader that says he opposed the war.
— Patrick Wintour (@patrickwintour) June 13, 2012
Lib Dems justify abstention saying the vote will make no difference to PM's decision and precedent is to abstain when coalition disagrees.
— Patrick Wintour (@patrickwintour) June 13, 2012
Lib Dems not confirming BBC report that Cameron told Clegg why are you bothering with Leveson, no one cares.
— Patrick Wintour (@patrickwintour) June 13, 2012
From the BBC's Norman Smith
Tory MPs warning of "pay back" forwhat they say is Clegg treachery over Hunt by scuppering Lords reform
— norman smith (@BBCNormanS) June 13, 2012
Tory MPs urging Cameron to take a stand against Clegg..."show who's boss"
— norman smith (@BBCNormanS) June 13, 2012
Revenge for Hunt ?? Tory MPssay there could be a vote on Lords reform before recess (programme motion) which cd scupper bill
— norman smith (@BBCNormanS) June 13, 2012
From PoliticsHome's Paul Waugh
The Tory MP (@JTomlinsonMP) who's been hauled back frm honeymoon for Hunt vote, has a sense of humour. Just tweeted link to his wedding pix.
— Paul Waugh (@paulwaugh) June 13, 2012
Tory @GlynDaviesMP is also missing a funeral cos of Hunt vote. As he Tweeted: "I utterly dislike the Lib Dems.." (via @colinko)
— Paul Waugh (@paulwaugh) June 13, 2012
From Alex Belardinelli, an aide to Ed Balls
We think it should happen, but we're not going to vote for it - Jo Swinson explains how Lib Dems do their politics
— Alex Belardinelli (@abelardinelli) June 13, 2012
Stress testing is normally associated with banks, but today the coalition is going to experience some stress testing of its own when the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats split in a vote on whether there should be an investigation into whether Jeremy Hunt broke the ministerial code. As Patrick Wintour reports in the Guardian, today's debate will mark one of the most serious breaches of coalition unity since 2010. There's no chance that the Labour motion, calling for Hunt to be investigated by the prime minister's independent adviser on ministers' interests, will get passed. But, at this stage, it is not clear quite how much damage the Lib Dems will do to coalition unity by refusing to vote to defend Hunt? Will it be seen as a polite "agreement to differ"? Or will it be remembered as an act of treachery that will hasten the moment when the coaliton collapses?
In public comments this morning both sides have been seeking to play down the significance of the split. Grant Shapps, the Conservative housing minister, told the Today programme that the Lib Dem position was just a "reminder that we have different perspectives on things".
It's a reminder that this is two parties that have come together in the national interest to sort out these huge debt problems ... The important thing is that we continue to focus on the big picture, on avoiding getting into the situation of Spain or Greece.
And Don Foster, a Lib Dem backbencher, told the same programme that the debate did not matter much anyway because David Cameron had decided not to have an inquiry into Hunt.
It's not going to make a blind bit of difference, the prime minister's already made his mind up on the issue ... The best way Nick Clegg can make clear what he believes about this is to do what he has already done. He doesn't endorse the position the prime minister's made not to refer this to the independent adviser, it's as simple as that.
But is it really as good tempered as this? I'll be covering the debate in detail, and I'll be particularly interested in what Tory MPs have to say about the stance of their Lib Dem colleagues.
Here's the full agenda for the day.
9.30am: Tim Loughton, the children's minister, unveils plans to enshrine in law the rights of both divorced fathers and mothers to see their children.
10am: Nick Clegg gives evidence to the Leveson inquiry. In the afternoon Alex Salmond will give evidence.
12pm: David Cameron and Nick Clegg clash at PMQs.
12.30pm: The Jeremy Hunt debate begins. It should go on until about 4pm.
As usual, I'll be covering all the breaking political news, as well as looking at the papers and bringing you the best politics from the web. I'll post a summary before PMQs and another in the afternoon.
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