There was particular anger at the fact Downing Street had whipped its MPs in an attempt to guarantee their backing – with one claiming Labour backbenchers could be accused in being complicit of a “cover-up”.
Ultimately Downing Street chose not to take a risk and deployed the full weight of the Number 10 operation to rally MPs.
For some it was savvy to avoid a referral to the same committee that was instrumental in the downfall of Boris Johnson, for others it was a heavy-handed approach at a time when Downing Street doesn’t have political capital to spare.
There will be relief in No 10 that there won’t be another parliamentary committee poring over every detail of Sir Keir’s decisions and subsequent statements about the Lord Mandelson saga.
The post-vote spin from government insiders was undoubtedly an attempt to be positive, with one saying it showed the Parliamentary Labour Party was still “pretty together”, though they added “for now”.
Among Labour MPs there was no sense of jubilation at having seen off a challenge from opposition parties, rather a weary resignation and deep frustration that this issue keeps consuming parliamentary time and public attention when they would much rather be talking about something – anything – else.
Sir Keir might have won the vote in Parliament, but each time the issue of Lord Mandelson’s appointment arises again he risks losing more authority among his own MPs.
