Tensions in the division lobby among Tory MPs
(Picture: Chris Bryant)Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has announced an investigation by Parliament’s authorities into the chaos surrounding Wednesday night’s vote on fracking.
A senior Labour MP earlier accused two Government ministers, including the Deputy Prime Minister Therese Coffey, of “bullying” and “intimidating” Conservative MPs as a vote on fracking in the House of Commons descended into chaos.
Speaking in the Commons on Thursday morning, Sir Lindsay told MPs: “I’ve asked the Serjeant of Arms to investigate the incident and report back to me.”
But he added: “I want this to be a House in which while we may have strong political disagreements we treat each other with courtesy and respect.
“I will be meeting with senior party representatives to seek an agreed position that behaviour like that described last night is unacceptable in any circumstances.”
Chris Bryant, MP for Rhondda, earlier told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme that he saw 15-20 Conservative MPs surrounding at least one Tory colleague as they wavered on which way to vote on the issue and amid confusion over whether it was a confidence vote in Liz Truss’s Government.
Mr Bryant, who called for a parliamentary investigation following the angry scenes on Wednesday evening, said Ms Coffey and, Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg were at the heart of the mayhem.
Describing the chaos, Mr Bryant said: “Emotion was very high. And at this point when gathering outside that lobby, I must have seen 15 Maybe 20 Tory MPs, including Therese Coffey, the Deputy Prime Minister, and Jacob Rees-Mogg...and various others all surrounding a couple of Conservative MPs who were wavering as to how they should vote.
“It was very aggressive, very angry, there was a lot of shouting and there was a lot of pointing, gesticulating..there was at least one hand on another MP and to me that was clear bullying and intimidation.
“One of the things that we have in our behaviour code in Parliament is that we simply will not countenance bullying, or any intimidation anywhere in the parliamentary estate and it was happening in the division lobbies last night.”
The Labour MP, who is also chair of Parliament’s Standards Committee, went on: “I saw a whole swathe of MPs effectively pushing one member straight through the door. And I’ve seen photographic evidence of one MP’s hand on another. I’ve spoken overnight both Conservative and Labour MPs and they have said to me that this was clearly manhandling.
“You have to know what your power is and recognise that before you act in any way at all...the Deputy Prime Minister standing there as she was shouting and gesticulating and all the rest of that. That is part of not understanding that is intimidation and bullying. If it were a chief executive in any company, they’d be out for that kind of behaviour.”
Asked whether he had ever experienvced anything like it before during his time as an MP, he added: “I have never seen scenes like that. And lots of other MPs have said the same.
“Honestly, this was the most extraordinary scene that I’ve seen in my time and even if it has happened in the past that is not how we should do our business. We are not the Italian Parliament.
“And all of this is happening because there is complete chaos in government. There isn’t a government and when the thread of government sort of falls apart this is what will end up happening day in, day out. You will just have complete and utter chaos. I had Tory MPs literally, including one whip actually, crying on my shoulder.”
Ms Coffey, a close ally of the embattled PM who is also Health Secretary, has denied she "manhandled" Tory MPs to force them to support the government in the fracking vote, according to sources close to the Deputy Prime Minister.
"Absolutely she was encouraging Con MPs into the government lobby but she didn't manhandle anyone," they told the PA news agency.
Labour’s motion on fracking was defeated by 230 votes to 326, with a majority of 96. Forty Tory MPs didn’t vote with the Government. A total of 36 Conservative MPs are listed as having not recorded a vote.
Amid the confusion over whether Tory MPs twere under a three line whip to vote against the Labour motion, No10 put out a statement in the early hours of Thursday morning clarifying that it was a confidence vote and that Conservatives who failed to back the Government may now face disciplinary action.
A Conservative source said: “Conservative MPs were fully aware that the vote was subject to a three line whip. The whips will now be speaking to Conservative MPs who failed to support the government. Those without a reasonable excuse for failing to vote with the government can expect proportionate disciplinary action.”
After the vote was announced, Chris Bryant urged Commons Deputy Speaker Dame Eleanor Laing to investigate the “scenes outside the entrance to the No lobby” and alleged MPs were “bullied” and “physically manhandled” to vote.
Raising a point of order, the MP said: “I would urge you to launch an investigation into the scenes outside the entrance to the No lobby earlier.
“As you know, members are expected to be able to vote without fear or favour and the behaviour code which is agreed by the whole of the House says there shall never be bullying or harassment.
“I saw members being physically manhandled into another lobby and being bullied.
“If we want to stand up against bullying in this House of our staff, we have to stop bullying in this chamber as well.”
Dame Eleanor replied: “The honourable member raises an important matter about behaviour and he knows better than anyone else that we have an extremely good system for it for investigating allegations of bullying, intimidation or bad behaviour.
“And if the honourable gentleman cares to bring evidence and facts to me, I will make sure that the matter is properly investigated.”
