The government has won a key vote on fracking – seen as a test of Liz Truss’s authority – but its victory was overshadowed by claims that Tory whips had physically manhandled and bullied backbenchers into backing the prime minister’s administration.
A Labour former minister urged the Deputy Speaker to launch an investigation, and one Conservative MP described the chaos in the House of Commons as “inexcusable” and an “absolute disgrace”.
Other MPs spoke of “total carnage” and “utter madness”, as Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg reportedly shouted “it’s not a confidence vote” and Tory colleagues reportedly used four-letter words to tell him where to go.
Labour’s motion to ban the controversial practice of fracking was defeated by 230 votes to 326, a government majority of 96.
But there were immediately claims that Tory backbenchers had been bullied and physically forced into the division lobbies to back the government.
Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle tweeted: “Just seen Tory whips manhandling a crying Tory MP into their lobby for fracking. You couldn’t make this toxic stuff up, nasty to see the Tories at work, if this is how they treat their MPs spare a thought for the country.”
Sir Charles Walker, MP for Broxbourne, told the BBC: “To be perfectly honest, this whole affair is inexcusable.
“It is a pitiful reflection on the Conservative Parliamentary Party at every level and it reflects really badly obviously on the government of the day.”
Asked whether there was any coming back from this, Sir Charles, visibly angry, said: “I don’t think so. And I have to say I’ve been of that view really since two weeks ago.
“This is an absolute disgrace. As a Tory MP of 17 years who’s never been a minister, who’s got on with it loyally most of the time, I think it’s a shambles and a disgrace. I think it is utterly appalling. I’m livid.”
Another Labour MP, Chris Bryant, urged the Deputy Speaker to launch an investigation, telling of “shambolic scenes” in voting lobbies.
“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,” he said.
“I saw members being physically manhandled into another lobby and being bullied.
“I saw members being physically manhandled onto the lobby and 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.”
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray said he witnessed “whips screaming at Tories” and described it as “open warfare”.
Mr Murray tweeted: “I’ve never seen scenes like it at the entrance to a voting lobby.
“Tories on open warfare. Jostling and Rees-Mogg shouting at his colleagues. Whips screaming at Tories. They are done and should call a general election.
“Two Tory whips dragging people in. Shocking.”
I’ve just witnessed one Tory member in tears being manhandled into the lobby to vote against our motion to continue the ban on fracking
Shadow minister Anna McMorrin wrote on Twitter that she witnessed one Conservative MP in tears in the lobby.
Ms McMorrin, the Labour MP for Cardiff North, tweeted: “Extraordinary stuff happening here during the vote on fracking which is apparently ‘not a confidence vote’.
“I’ve just witnessed one Tory member in tears being manhandled into the lobby to vote against our motion to continue the ban on fracking.”
David Linden, MP for Glasgow East, tweeted that he had “just watched the Deputy Prime Minister practically pick up a hesitant Tory MP and march him into the government lobby” adding that it was “astonishing”.
Sir Charles said he was leaving Parliament at the next election voluntarily, adding: “Unless we get our act together and behave like grown-ups, I’m afraid many hundreds of my colleagues, perhaps 200, will be leaving at the behest of their electorate.”
Before the vote, at least three former Tory ministers said they would be willing to lose the whip by voting with Labour to ban the drilling for shale gas.
Opponents of fracking say it damages the environment and damages homes, fears that led the government to ban fracking in 2019 before the moratorium was lifted last month.
Business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg said he did not see any bullying during voting.
“I didn’t see any bullying. There were discussions going on, and there was a discussion about the vote that was taking place, and this was what normally goes on outside the division lobby,” he said.
“I heard one person swear and use an expletive… a Conservative when going into the division lobby, swear and say, sort of ‘get on with it’, but he wasn’t saying it to an individual.”
Mr Rees-Mogg added: “I didn’t see any bullying and I saw nobody being manhandled.”
Deputy Prime Minister Therese Coffey denied she “manhandled” Tory MPs to force them to support the government in the vote, according to sources close to her.
“Absolutely she was encouraging Con MPs into the government lobby but she didn’t manhandle anyone,” they told the PA news agency.
