It depends what Paddy wants most, though. For him personally, yes, possibly, that would have been worth resigning the whip over. But it would have totally scuppered the party and it's chances of effecting electoral reform if someone as iconic as Paddy jumped ship. I'd like to think that reform is more important to him than personal power, although obviously I can't know that.

BTW, the graph thing on Facebook? I think you must have answered emphatically the question that I put "maybe" to; you're one little square over from me on the leftieness...