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After all the kerfuffle, a comfortable win for the government.

But prime ministers don't normally have to beg to get a planned new law through its very first stage in Parliament and that is what Rishi Sunak has had to do here.

A win is a win, though - and a win is the absence of a defeat, which would have been crushing for Mr Sunak.

Instead he can say a variation of 'what was all the fuss about?' and press on with his plans.

But it is in the pressing on that more fuss lies.

About an hour before the vote, one Conservative MP texted me saying: "It will go through - he lives to fight another day - but spring election looks more likely as party multi-factional now - not just factional."

The Conservative Party is split in multiple directions on this policy and those splits aren't going away.

Groups on the right have said they may vote against the bill if it is not amended - some of those abstained tonight.

Some of those who backed the government will withdraw their support if ministers do more to appeal to those who abstained in this vote.

We haven't heard the end of this - but today has turned out about as well as Rishi Sunak could have hoped.