Labour’s plan to hold a “no confidence” vote in Boris Johnson and the government has been blocked by ministers, who control the House of Commons timetable.
In an unprecedented step, the government refused to set parliamentary time aside on Wednesday for the motion to be debated, even though the leader of the opposition Sir Keir Starmer was planning to table the vote.
Senior Labour backbencher Chris Bryant said Prime Minister Boris Johnson was a “coward” for rejecting the vote.
“He’s disgraced. He doesn’t enjoy the confidence of this House and if he simply tries to prevent the House coming to that decision, it’s because he’s a coward”
Labour has further said the action represented a “flagrant abuse of power to protect a discredited prime minister” and called on the Tory leadership candidates to denounce it.
“This clapped-out government is running scared and refusing to allow time to debate Labour’s vote of no confidence motion, this is totally unprecedented. Yet again the Tories are changing the rules to protect their own dodgy mates.” a spokeswoman said.
Watch Chris Bryant’s blistering speech below