. As they reached the Commons chamber our guide explained the purpose of the two red lines that are woven into the carpet half a metre from the front benches. These are the lines that MPs must not cross when debating (hence toeing the line) and they are strategically placed two metres or just over two sword lengths apart, he explained. Then it dawned on me. That�s what the pink ribbon is for! I�m supposed to hang my sword from it. So here in the twenty-first century it can take months to allocate an MP a permanent office, but on day one she or he has somewhere to hang their sword. What a relief!