But he did get a boost from an unexpected quarter towards the end of the session when Peter Bone, one of his most trenchant critics on the Tory benches, praised his commitment to the coalition.
But with Miami not playing until next Saturday, at the earliest, he'll have plenty of time to treat the three bone bruises that caused him to miss six games near the end of the regular season.
For the next six months, anyone comfortable on wheels can join (or watch) the Central Park Dance Skaters twirling, grapevining and displaying ankle bone-defying footwork around a 150ft stretch of dead-end road that serves as the makeshift rink.