Once MPs get a taste for rebellion, they鈥檙e emboldened to come back for more
The prime minister has returned from his latest appearance on the world stage amid the high seriousness of international debate around defence spending and the future of NATO 鈥� to a political ambush back at home.
Less than a year in to his premiership and a large and growing group of rebels are on course to hole his government below the waterline in what would be a crippling blow to his leadership.
More than 120 MPs have now signed an amendment which would kill off the government鈥檚 welfare bill on Tuesday 鈥� a signature piece of legislation which aims to reform the welfare system and save 拢5bn.
It seems a charm/threat offensive which saw members of the cabinet ringing round the rebels in an effort to change their mind has had the opposite effect, with six more names on the list than yesterday.
Watch: The welfare rebellion explained
Government ministers insist the vote will still go ahead 鈥� but they're taking a more conciliatory approach.
It looks like they're hoping to offer the rebels enough of a compromise to enable everyone to back down with concessions which could include easing the restrictions on eligibility criteria for personal independents payments, so fewer people lose out 鈥� or delaying the implementation process until later in the year.
Trade minister Douglas Alexander was doing his best to love-bomb the rebels on the broadcast round this morning鈥� claiming "everyone is just trying to do their job well" and insisting everyone in the Labour Party is united on the principle of welfare reform, and this is a little local disagreement about implementation.
Watch: Minister insists welfare needs reform
But while the rebels say they back the stated goal of the reforms - with most MPs across the house agreeing with the government's aim to support more sick and disabled people back into work - they do not agree with a cost-cutting approach which would deprive 800,000 sick and disabled people of the personal independence payments they receive to help cope with the additional costs of living with their health conditions.
Some MPs this morning are sounding mollified by the government鈥檚 change in approach. Josh Fenton-Glynn, for example, has posted that it seems their "reasonable concerns are being listened to".
Others, like serial rebel Richard Burgon, tell me "the view is widening among MPs that the only way forward is not inadequate concessions but the bill being pulled and government going back to the drawing board".
The problem for the prime minister - and the chancellor - is any backtracking will leave the government with a black hole in the budget.
And as the winter fuel U-turn has shown, once MPs get a taste for rebellion, they鈥檙e emboldened to come back for more.