The House of Lords recently amended the government’s Great British Energy Bill, adding legislation that would prevent the green electricity quango from buying Chinese solar panels where there’s “credible evidence” they’ve been made using slave labour. The amended bill returned to the House of Commons today.

By coincidence, today it’s been 218 years since the 1807 Abolition of Slave Trade Act received royal assent. This marked the beginning of Britain’s century-long moral and military crusade against the global slave trade - the longest and most expensive humanitarian campaign in history.

Keir Starmer’s government chose to mark that anniversary by ordering Labour MPs to vote against the Lords amendment, which was duly defeated by 314 votes to 198. So China’s commie slave drivers can relax; Ed Miliband will continue to buy their products.