Over now to Nick Robinson in Downing Street…

NICK ROBINSON: There’s still a steamy atmosphere in Whitehall tonight as the combatants on either side catch their breath, lick their wounds, and take stock. It remains too early to tell whether this fight between Labour backbenchers and the Goverment over whatever it is has finally ended. It’s been many a year since we’ve seen such conflict over whatever it is and it’s been terribly exciting. Sources, who I can’t reveal for risk of ruining the air of mystery and privilege that surrounds my job as a state-funded gossip, tell me tonight that whatever it is may yet cause division and acrimony in the Labour Party for some time to come. For all our salaries, let us hope so. Back to you in the studio.

Thanks, Nick. There were unprecedented scene in Westminster tonight as, in a reversal of the conventional wisdom, the Prime Minister declared that from now on as well as history being written by the victors, the losers will get to scrawl a page or two as well…

GORDON BROWN: I don’t think I’ve been pushed about at all in the long term. What I’ve done in the long term is listen and made the right long-term decision. A week is a long time in politics so its obvious that the long term decisions I made this week about whatever it is would be different from the long term decisions I made last week about whatever it is. You may think you remember me saying there were no losers over whatever it is but my recall is fundamentally differentiated in the long term.

Rebel MPs have been quick to welcome the Prime Minister’s not-at-all incompatible with his previous statements statement today. We spoke to one earlier.

RUBBER STAMP-FODDER (LAB): Well, of course this whole terrible business over whatever it is has been bad for everyone: the Prime Minister, the government, MPs and er… yes. Fortunately the Prime Minister’s announcement papers over the cracks rather nicely or at least whittles down the number of those complaining to manageable proportions. Public empathy and attention spans being what they are, this will all be forgotten very soon anyway by the majority, especially with several other whatever it is being debated in Parliament in the coming days. That can only be good for the party, sorry, country.

And that’s the news tonight. Good evening.