“conspicuous revolution” in the Commons

Factual Questions
1

I read the article: My Falklands War and Theirs by Jean J. Kirkpatrickthe, former US Permanent Rep. to the UN.

In the article she noted "Labor government’s 1978 decision not to station a permanent task in the South Atlantic—in order to save 180 million pounds—and instead to explore a “leaseback” solution for the islands like that of Hong Kong. …

The enthusiasm for a settlement waned in the Foreign Office and the Labor Party after the “conspicuous revolution” in the Commons.

What does she mean by “conspicuous revolution” ?
What happened then?
Thank you very much.

2

The rest of the paragraph clearly explains what she - or rather the person whose phrase she was quoting, Michael Charlton - meant.

The leaseback plan met with near-total hostility in the Commons when the idea was suggested by the Conservative Foreign Office minister, Nicholas Ridley, on 2 December 1980. That’s the debate referred to by Richard Luce, whom Kirkpatrick also quotes. Note, in particular, the criticisms from Peter Shore and Russell Johnston, who were respectively the Labour and Liberal spokesmen. One could be cynical about this, saying that Labour and the Liberals abandoned their willingness to explore the idea merely because the policy had been taken up by the new Conservative government. But with most Conservative MPs equally opposed, the idea had become politically impossible.

3

I see. Thank you for your illuminating explanation.

4

“Revolution” because the Westminster party system is based on tight party discipline, and governments can usually expect their party’s MPs to support them, at least in principle (though they might quibble on the details of implementation). It’s rare for more than a small minority (at most) to rebel in this way.

5

So the idea of “revolution” is used to describe the fierce opposition from many subordinates who go against the proposal (leaseback) by the Conservative Foreign Office minister, which is not common in the Westminster party system, right?
Thank you very much.