Michael Gove celebrated the first day in his new job as chief whip by getting locked in a parliamentary toilet, minutes before a key vote was due to take place.
Labour's Angela Eagle, shadow leader of the commons, said the former education secretary almost missed his own vote.
"He hasn't had the most auspicious start," Eagle told the Commons on Thursday. "Yesterday he not only lost his first vote but he managed to get stuck in the toilet in the wrong lobby and he nearly broke his own whip."
William Hague, the newly appointed leader of the house, replied by saying the toilet incident was evidence of Michael Gove doing his job properly: "Knowledge of who is in the toilets in whatever lobby is a very important piece of information for any chief whip and I take this as evidence that he was carrying out his duties very assiduously."
