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Euro-rows in the Commons resume a week on Monday, and continue for three whole long days on the floor of the Commons.

MPs will spend Monday 24, Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 January on committee-stage debates on the European Union Bill.

And "sovereignty amendment" will not be the last occasion for euro-rebellion. Another Conservative backbencher, , has put down a series of amendments intended to toughen up the "referendum lock" the bill is supposed to provide on further erosion of UK and parliamentary sovereignty.

At the moment the bill provides for ministers to approve the transfer of non-significant powers to EU decision making (would it really be sensible to have a British referendum on changes to the rules around the pensions for members of the EU Court of Auditors, they ask). Mr Clappison wants the Commons to be able to confirm (or deny) ministerial decisions on what is or isn't significant enough to merit a referendum.

The bill excludes referendums on European treaty changes which simply allow the accession of a new member state - although there would still be a referendum if an accession was bundled together with "significant" wider issues. Mr Clappison thinks there should at least be a vote in Parliament. And the same goes for any decision to opt into EU policies in the "freedom and justice" area, where the UK currently has an opt-out.

Spookily enough, it seems these amendments might come up for debate on Tuesday 25, when Mr Clappison, and awkward squaddies Chris Chope, Edward Leigh and Graham Brady are due to be in Strasbourg for a meeting of the European Council. I'm assured that even the allure of Strasbourg's fine cuisine won't keep them from flying back.

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