• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Politics

Screeching U-turn! Government drops move to delay Partygate vote

The government canned its wrecking amendment on a Partygate probe just minutes before MPs started their debate.

Henry Goodwin by Henry Goodwin
2022-04-21 11:52
in Politics
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Downing Street has dramatically dropped an amendment to force Tory MPs to delay an inquiry into whether Boris Johnson misled Parliament – just minutes before a debate was due to begin.

Amid growing anger from Conservative MPs, Mark Spencer – the Commons leader – said that MPs would be given a free vote on the motion to refer Johnson to the privileges committee, which has the power to demand documents and photographs of alleged lockdown breaches.

It comes after, last night, the government proposed an amendment which would have delayed the decision to refer Johnson to the committee until after the Metropolitan Police had finished its investigation and a report by civil servant Sue Gray was published. 

But MPs will now vote for the Labour motion and, if passed, Johnson could soon find himself under parliamentary investigation.

BREAKING Boris Johnson pulls his wrecking amendment on Partygate Commons probe investigation and gives Tory MPs a free vote pic.twitter.com/ZzUrBzb8uB

— Arj Singh (@singharj) April 21, 2022

‘Will of the House’

A senior government source told the BBC that Johnson has “always been clear that he’s happy to face whatever inquiries Parliament sees fit and is happy for the House to decide how it wishes to proceed today”.

They added: “We tabled an amendment last night because we wanted to be explicit about ensuring Sue Gray is able to complete and publish her report without any further delay, as well as allow the Metropolitan Police to conclude their investigations.

“We now recognise that – in practice – this is almost certainly likely to be the case and therefore we are happy for the Labour motion to go through if that is the will of the House.”

RelatedPosts

Labor win presents ‘great opportunity’ in fight to free Julian Assange

‘A rare Murdoch defeat’: Reaction as Scott Morrison accepts defeat in Australian elections

Labor topples Conservatives in Australia as Scott Morrison suffers defeat

Former Tory Party leader calls for benefits to be boosted in line with inflation

Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said the U-turn is “humiliating” for Tory MPs who were “being pressured to vote for the government’s cover up amendment”.

She added that ministers knew they could not win, adding that Johnson is “bang to rights”.

“Tory MPs should do the right thing, respect the sacrifices that their constituents made during the pandemic, and vote in the national interest,” she said.

It is a stark U-turn as, just hours earlier, Johnson defended his government’s effort to delay any parliamentary investigation into claims he lied to MPs about the Partygate scandal.

Speaking to reporters on a trade trip to India, he said MPs should have the “full facts” before deciding whether a Commons committee should look into allegation that he misled the House with his denials about Downing Street parties during the coronavirus lockdown.

Johnson denied misleading MPs but said the Commons should wait for the conclusion of the police investigation and the publication of senior official Sue Gray’s report into the parties before deciding whether the privileges committee should launch an inquiry.

‘Voting for a cover-up’

Tory MPs had initially been ordered to back a government amendment which would defer any decision on referring the matter to the committee until after the conclusion of the Met Police inquiry.

But in a late U-turn shortly before the debate began, Spencer said there would be a free vote for Tory MPs – and indicated the amendment would not be pushed.

It follows speculation at Westminster that some Tory MPs were not prepared to back the government’s attempt to kick the issue into the long grass.

Asked on the first day of his trade mission to India whether he knowingly or unknowingly misled Parliament, Johnson said: “Of course not.”

He told reporters: “I’m very keen for every possible form of scrutiny and the House of Commons can do whatever it wants to do.

“But all I would say is I don’t think that should happen until the investigation is completed.”

A Labour source said any Conservative supporting the government amendment would be “voting for a cover-up”.

Related: Brexit checks spark Gibraltar chaos as Brits denied entry to Spain

Tags: Boris Johnson

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

Study suggests Eat Out To Help Out is responsible for “significant” rise in infection rates

‘Saving money & lives’ Corbyn promises ‘truly universal’ health service under Labour

Hinkley Point delay called ‘bonkers’ by union

Britain’s first Divorce Hotel opens in Yorkshire

New Look losses mount as Brexit and weather keep shoppers away

USA Nails Release Video For ‘I Am Normal’

Labour considering universal basic income, says John McDonnell

Coronavirus thugs hunt – CCTV stills released in hunt for yobs who beat up student from Singapore

Tritax Big Box REIT to acquire 124 acres at Littlebrook, Dartford for £65m

North set to receive £2,300 less per person in transport spending than London

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.