A bitter row has broken out between Labour and the government over Keir Starmer’s plan to table a motion of no confidence in Boris Johnson’s government.
Labour reacted with fury after Downing Street refused to allow parliamentary time for the motion it had tabled. Longstanding convention is that, if the leader of the official opposition tables a motion of no confidence, the government makes time for it to be debated and voted on.
A Labour spokesperson said: “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. All the Tory leadership candidates should denounce this flagrant abuse of power to protect a discredited prime minister.”
However, Tory whips said Labour’s motion fell outside the scope of the convention by identifying Johnson. A government spokesperson said: “We have given Labour the option to table a straightforward vote of no confidence in the government.
“They have chosen to play politics by tabling a vote of no confidence in the government and the prime minister. As the prime minister has already resigned and a leadership process is under way we do not feel this is a valuable use of parliamentary time.
“Should Labour amend their motion appropriately, they can have the next business day for it to be debated.”
Labour said the motion had been ruled in order by the House of Commons clerks, and pointed to the 1965 confidence motion, which mentioned the prime minister. A Labour source said the government was “talking out of their hat”.
Starmer had said the government should not be able to “cling on” until 5 September, when the result of the Tory leadership election is due to be announced.
The government would almost certainly win any such vote, with Conservative MPs reconciled to Johnson remaining in place until his successor is appointed. Even the most anti-Johnson Tories would be keen to avoid the risk of triggering a general election.
Labour had hoped to be able to attack Tory MPs for effectively voting to keep Johnson in No 10 until the autumn.
James Murray, Labour’s financial secretary to the Treasury, said on Tuesday the party’s motion was “the last opportunity to get Boris Johnson out of Downing Street before the end of parliament next week”.
He told Sky News: “Boris Johnson should go now. And we hope that the Conservative MPs agree with us on that […] I think the whole country realises Boris Johnson just has no integrity and honesty. I think it’s time for him to go.”
The row came as a wide field of Conservative candidates jostled to secure the 20 supporters necessary to get their names on the ballot paper.
