By Tony Grew - 15th February 2011
Will the government concede the Isle of Wight amendment?
How much will a 7.5 per cent population differential really effect new constituencies?
Can Labour possibly try to back a minimum turnout threshold they voted against in the Commons?
These are just some of the many questions being asked by MPs and peers alike ahead of a final clash over the parliamentary voting system and constituencies bill.
The legislation, which authorises an AV referendum on May 5 and cuts the number of MPs by 50, cleared third reading in the Lords yesterday.
Today the Commons will have a "consideration of Lords amendments".
The government's main defeats in the upper House were on those issues: an exception for the Isle of Wight, turnout threshold and 7.5 per cent not 5 per cent.
The Commons is expected accept that the Isle of Wight should have two constituencies all to itself - creating two Tory seats - and reject the others.
The bill will then go back to the Lords for consideration.
This could happen tonight but is more likely to happen tomorrow.
Then the game of Parliamentary ping-pong begins.
If the Lords dig their heels in, they will send the bill back down the Palace with their amendments still in place.
How long this goes on for depends who gives in first. The Lords is due to rise for its mid-term break tomorrow and the Commons on Thursday.
Downing Street are sanguine about the possibility of keeping peers and MPs up all night, or even delaying their holiday if it comes to it.
Revenge perhaps for the Labour 'filibuster' that has delayed business in the upper House for weeks.
In any case, the government is confident that it will get this bill through by tomorrow, the deadline set by the electoral commission to allow three months of campaigning on the referendum.
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