Tory MPs will get a free vote on whether to investigate claims Boris Johnson lied to Parliament after a chaotic U-turn.
Last night the government announced it would block a probe into whether the Prime Minister misled the House over Partygate - at least for now.
But with minutes to spare today, Tory whips axed the government's amendment - which would have delayed a decision on whether to investigate - and sent their MPs home.
There will just be just one vote this afternoon on whether to refer Boris Johnson to the Privileges Committee over four alleged misleading statements.
And instead of being whipped to defend their boss, Tory MPs will get a free vote - dramatically raising the chances of an investigation being triggered.
It means MPs will vote on the original motion that was tabled by Keir Starmer yesterday, before the Tories tried to block it. It was unclear if it would pass "on the nod" with no opposition, or if Labour would force a formal recorded vote to take place.
Labour’s leader said the principle of telling the truth was “under attack”, telling Parliament: “The Prime Minister has been accused of repeatedly, deliberately and routinely misleading this House over parties held in Downing Street during lockdown.
Scroll down for an explanation of what it all means - and join the debate in the comments.
“Now that’s a serious allegation because if it’s true, it amounts to contempt of Parliament. And it’s not, and it should never be, an accusation that is made lightly.”
“This is about honesty, integrity and telling the truth in this case,” Labour’s leader added. He went on: “It is a British principle - it’s a principle that’s been cherished by Conservatives for as long as their party has existed.”
In a devastating speech, Tory MP William Wragg - who has called for Boris Johnson to quit - condemned the "toxic" atmosphere under his leadership.
He said: “The invasion of a sovereign nation by a dictatorial aggressor should not be a reason why we should accept lower standards ourselves”.
Mr Wragg said "it is utterly depressing, defending the indefensible", before adding "each time, a part of us withers".
And SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said: “The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is a liar. I genuinely don’t say that lightly and I don’t say it loosely.”
He added: "We were all misled deliberately because the Prime Minister knew the truth… He lied to avoid getting caught and once he got caught, he lied again. There is no other way to describe it.”
Usually he would have been ordered to withdraw the remark, but was allowed to make it under special rules that one an MP can only call the other a liar if they are debating a motion about that MP's truthfulness.
The U-turn does not mean Boris Johnson will definitely be investigated by the Privileges Committee, which has the power to declare he was in contempt of Parliament. Tory MPs still need to vote for a probe and many will decide not to.
But Tory rebels will now feel they have greater licence to vote for an investigation, after Boris Johnson effectively gave them permission to do so.
Moments before the U-turn, the Prime Minister said on a visit to India: "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."
As the scandal threatened to overshadow a two-day diplomatic trip, Mr Johnson claimed Partygate did not "matter" to voters and he was focusing on the issue that did.
The U-turn was confirmed by Leader of the Commons Mark Spencer, who told MPs: "The Prime Minister has indicated he is keen for the House to decide on the business later today.
"The vote on the unamended house business will be a free vote to all Conservative MPs and that will be the case this afternoon."
At the start of the debate Keir Starmer withdrew a claim he made yesterday about Boris Johnson attacking the BBC over Ukraine at the start of the debate, after the government said it was not true.
By contrast, the Prime Minister has insisted he did not deliberately mislead MPs when he said "all guidance was followed" in 10 Downing Street.
The government already tried to delay any decision on investigating Boris Johnson until after the police finished their inquiries into No10 parties. But Keir Starmer pointed out his motion would only commence an investigation after police are finished anyway.
Keir Starmer said after months of denials and even “feigned outrage” at No10 staff, “we now know the law was broken.
"We know the Prime minister himself broke the law. And we know he faces the possibility of being found to have broken it again and again and again."
If an investigation is approved today, the Privileges Committee will be able to take documents and photos to look at whether Boris Johnson misled Parliament.
It would then produce a report referring the matter back to the House of Commons, which would take several months.
Tory Father of the House Peter Bottomley spoke up in Boris Johnson’s favour, saying “it’s not the right time for the House to make a decision”, and “I don’t believe we should build a great big cake” on top of the PM already accepting a fine from police.
But Angela Rayner, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, said: “This is humiliating for Conservative MPs who were being pressured to vote for the government’s cover up amendment. The government knew they couldn’t win this, the Prime Minister 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.”
Lib Dem MP Tim Farron said: "There we have it. Tory MPs are too ashamed to defend him, but too weak to sack him.
"This affects all of us: it poisons integrity in public life and it paralyses our government. He must go."
Boris Johnson’s press secretary confirmed: "The Prime Minister was obviously involved in this decision."
She added: "I think you'll have heard him speaking at length about this over the past few days.
"He's set out his understanding of events and he would have no concerns with this issue being considered by the committee.
"The most important thing is for MPs to have the full facts at their disposal and that is why it's our belief it should take place after the conclusion of the Met's investigation."
Asked what changed overnight, she said: "Our view has been about making sure MPs have the full facts at their disposal and we are content that this is met."
The PM’s deputy spokesman added: “We tabled the amendment last night to make it specifically clear that consideration of this matter should take place after both the conclusion of the police investigation and the publication of Sue Gray's report.
“We're now, however content that in practice any parliamentary process would take place after both the Met's investigation and report from Sue Gray being published, which wasn't explicitly included in the opposition motion."
The spokesman declined to say what conversations had taken place to make the government "content".
And he wouldn't say why, if it was a purely technical amendment to insert Sue Gray's inquiry into the motion, the government pulled it.
Asked if the PM had full confidence in the Chief whip, his deputy spokesman said: "Yes."
Why is Boris Johnson accused of lying to Parliament?
He repeatedly denied knowledge of parties in No10 and Whitehall - before it emerged he attended half of dozen of those probed by police.
After it emerged he was at parties, he pivoted and said he didn't think they were parties.
The crucial question is whether he deliberately misled Parliament - i.e., he knew what he was saying was wrong, when he said it.
The PM has insisted he was just reflecting his understanding at the time.
What will MPs vote on?
MPs will vote this afternoon on whether to refer the matter to the Commons Privileges Committee.
The motion says there are at least four comments by Boris Johnson that “appear to amount to misleading the House”:
- 1 December 2021: ‘All guidance was followed in No10’
- 8 December 2021 ‘I have been repeatedly assured since these allegations emerged that there was no party and that no Covid rules were broken’
- 8 December 2021: ‘I am sickened myself and furious about that, but I repeat what I have said to him: I have been repeatedly assured that the rules were not broken’
- 8 December 2021: ‘The guidance was followed and the rules were followed at all times’.
What is the Privileges Committee?
It is the body in charge of deciding whether MPs have committed a contempt of Parliament.
It is led by Labour MP Chris Bryant, who is elected by his fellow MPs, but four of the seven members are Tories and he has recused himself from taking part.
The committee considers matters of privilege that are referred to it by the House of Commons after a vote by MPs.
It then produces a report, which in this case would take several months.
People can be found in contempt for “deliberately misleading” the Commons - the most famous example being War Secretary John Profumo, who misled MPs by denying an affair in 1963.
But it’s extremely rare - and MPs who admit “inadvertently” misleading the Commons normally avoid a ruling of contempt.
The last MP to face direct sanction from the committee was Tory Justin Tomlinson in 2016. He did not mislead Parliament - but instead leaked a credit crackdown report to Wonga.
In recent years the committee has also rapped Dominic Cummings for refusing to give evidence, and ruled that News International bosses misled Parliament during a hearing on phone hacking.
How would the investigation work?
The committee would begin an investigation into Boris Johnson’s conduct - but not yet.
It would hold back any “substantive consideration of the matter” until Scotland Yard finishes its Partygate probe.
Once police finish dishing out fines, the probe would “consider whether the PM’s conduct amounted to a contempt of the House”.
Parliament’s rulebook Erskine May said the Commons can decide MPs who “deliberately mislead” them are in contempt.
But there is no single definition of contempt and the House of Commons has the final say on whether one is committed.
