Sometimes a hushed Commons chamber greets a statement of great significance – the death of a national figure, a resignation statement by a senior minister, war or a tragedy.
But this was not the case for Liz Kendall whose statement to the House on last minute changes to her much criticised welfare bill was met with a prickly uncomfortable silence and barely an audible sound of approval from the Labour benches behind her.
The work and pensions secretary had in essence been forced to come to the Commons a day early to outline her changes to the welfare bill made in desperation because more than 130 Labour MPs had signed an amendment which would kill it.
In fairness to Ms Kendall she was in a much more ameliorant mood than she was when she first announced reforms to the benefits system back in March.
The work and pensions secretary is leaning much more heavily on positive “Labour measures” about supporting those unable to work or who need help getting back into work.
It is a much better approach than her “we need to save £5bn of savings” attempt when she first announced the reforms in March.
Since then the threat of a massive rebellion has forced the government to change its tone.
But the silence behind Ms Kendall on the Labour benches seems to suggest that she still has work to do to persuade her reluctant colleagues to support the reforms.
The minister has been described by one colleague as “the equivalent of putting the grim reaper in charge of a home for the elderly” in her role as the cabinet minister responsible for benefits.
And her task was not helped at all by the government’s own impact assessment, published just an hour before she got to her feet, that 150,000 people are likely to be plunged into poverty as a result of her plans.
Admittedly this is not as bad as the 250,000 (including 50,000 children) who would have been hit under the unamended plans but it was not news that was ever going to quell a rebellion.
Labour work and pensions committee chair Debbie Abrahams had signalled that the rebellion was still on in an interview on ITV News ahead of the statement.
Things did not get better as Labour MP after Labour MP demanded that she postpone the legislation tomorrow.
On the hottest day of the year it was clear that despite halving the much needed savings from £5bn to £2.5bn Ms Kendall and prime minister Sir Keir Starmer will have to continue to sweat tonight over what they may face in the voting lobby tomorrow.
More than that though the whole episode in the chamber was symbolic of a Labour parliamentary party that appears to have run out of patience with its leader and being asked to support tough decisions many just think are plain cruel. Chopping disability benefits, creating a two tier welfare system, and taking away winter fuel payments are not reasons people become Labour MPs.
Withdrawing the welfare bill or postponing the vote could prove to be a humiliation too far for the prime minister but a rebellion of 50 or more MPs will be extremely damaging too.
The debate is set to continue on Tuesday with the second reading of the bill but Sir Keir will be hoping that the disgruntled silence gives way to cheers from Labour MPs soon if he wants to repair his tattered authority.
