Investigation launched into alleged bullying of MPs in fracking vote
Totally Liz Trussed: how long must we wait until the prime minister holds another press conference, announcing the resignation of another government member – herself?
This Site called for it – and I’ve got it: Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has ordered the Serjeant at Arms to investigate allegations around chaotic scenes in a vote yesterday (October 19).
It is claimed that Conservative MPs were physically assaulted by ministers (and possibly others) to force them to vote with the government after an Opposition Day debate on fracking.
Hoyle said he
will be meeting with senior party representatives “to seek an agreed position that behaviour like that described last night is not acceptable in all circumstances”.
In a statement to MPs, he said: “I remind Members that the behaviour code applies to them as well as to other members of our parliamentary community.”
The Speaker, who is in charge of ensuring order in the Commons, added that while MPs might have “very strong political disagreements” they must “treat each other courteously and with respect”.
Isn’t it a bit late for that, now?
On the BBC’s Politics Live, it was stated that, just as MPs were preparing to vote on the fracking issue, a minister announced that it was not a “confidence” issue.
This threw the Conservatives into confusion. They had been told that it was – and that anybody voting with their conscience and against Liz Truss’s policy would be expelled from the party. Was this now untrue?
They went out to the voting lobbies scrabbling for their mobile phones in order to get clarity – and didn’t get it.
This seems clear manipulation by Liz Truss and her government. They seem to have deliberately caused confusion in order to nudge their MPs into taking the safest option – voting according to government wishes.
And then the scuffle(s) broke out.
The total number of Tory MPs known to have publicly stated that they have no confidence in Liz Truss’s leadership has more than doubled since yesterday, with 14 in total by mid-morning today.
And at the time of writing, Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee and the man who tells every prime minister whether they have the support of their party, has just left a meeting with Truss.
What did he say?
Will we find out today?
These are exciting times.
Source: ‘Not acceptable’: Investigation launched into parliament disorder where MPs were ‘manhandled’
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