PM's belated dinner date with the newbies

David Cameron spent the uncomfortable wait for last night's Europe vote getting to know some of his backbenchers better.

He dined in the Commons with 2010 intakers Margot James, Andrew Stephenson and Rebecca Harris. At the next table was a more battle-scarred group around the veteran Eurosceptic, Bill Cash.

No buns were thrown. The atmosphere was "friendly". Some Tories said Mr Cameron's gladhanding was long overdue. But the next battle over Europe was already beginning. Its starting point is Mr Cameron's final appeal to rebel MPs when he promised "fundamental reform" of Britain's relationship with Europe.

Already, senior Conservatives like Mark Pritchard are putting the squeeze on, saying that vague assurances are not enough. They want hard commitments and a credible timetable.

Michael Gove, one of the Cabinet's leading Eurosceptics, gave some pointers this morning by talking up the idea of repatriating the power to decide employment law, but hinted it was an election issue rather than one for a referendum.

He talked of Government having to be on its toes to take any opportunities presented over the coming years. But within minutes Nick Clegg had slammed the door shut on any early attempt to restore powers that were lost to Brussels. He provocatively attacked the idea of "playing Russian roulette" with people's jobs.

Mr Cameron looks to be pretty stuck. "Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that we lost the general election and accept that we can't do what we want," said a minister.

It all points to Mr Cameron giving his rebels a big, bold Eurosceptic policy - but in the next Conservative election manifesto, rather than in today's real world. It remains to be seen if his rebels, emboldened and radicalised by last night's drama, can be bought off with "jam tomorrow".