exuding authority or petty and vindictive?

This July, just like last July, the prime minister has decided to kick some of his MPs out of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

A year ago, just weeks after winning the general election, seven Labour MPs had the whip removed, to use the Westminster jargon, having voted against the two-child benefit cap.

Here we are 12 months later, just as MPs may have thought things were quietening down before Parliament’s summer break starting next week, and here we go again.

Four MPs have had the party whip removed, meaning they will sit as independents in the House of Commons.

Three other Labour MPs have been stripped of their trade envoy roles.

The logic last summer was it would act as a marker and a big disincentive for other Labour MPs to contemplate rebellion.

Perhaps it worked, at least for a bit,…