The government has ditched an attempt to delay a vote on a new probe into whether Boris Johnson misled parliament over Partygate.
Conservative MPs will be given a free vote on Labour’s motion seeking a Commons privilege committee investigation into claims the PM did not tell the truth about the scandal.
Speaking only moments before a debate on the motion, Commons Leader Mark Spencer said: The prime minister has indicated he’s keen for the House to decide on the business later today.”
The Tory minister added: “The vote on the unamended House business will be a free vote to all Conservative MPs and that’ll be the case this afternoon.”
Tory MPs had been deeply uneasy about the government amendment aimed at pushing back a vote until after the Metropolitan Police inquiry. One ex-minister told The Independent it looked like “a blocking move”.
A senior government source claimed that Mr Johnson was “happy to face” a parliamentary inquiry after the U-turn saw Tory MPs granted a free vote on Thursday afternoon.
The source said: “He’s happy to face whatever inquiries parliament sees fit, and is happy for the House to decide how it wishes to proceed today and therefore will not be whipping Conservative MPs.”
Labour said the government had been forced into “humiliating” U-turn after being caught in an attempted “cover up” – and urged Tory backbenchers to vote for the motion.
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said: “This is humiliating for Conservative MPs who were being pressured to vote for the government’s cover-up amendment.”
She added: “Tory MPs should do the right thing, respect the sacrifices that their constituents made during the pandemic, and vote in the national interest.”
Speaking in India earlier on Thursday, Mr Johnson said MPs should have the “full facts” before deciding whether the parliament should investigate him.
But Mr Johnson’s press secretary said the PM had been involved in the decision to make a U-turn. A senior government source claimed that No 10 was satisfied that the Labour motion would “almost certainly” allow the parliamentary probe to begin after the police inquiry.
Although the Labour-led motion asks MPs to vote on the issue today, it says the committee inquiry should not begin in earnest until Scotland Yard have concluded their own inquiry into lockdown-busting parties.
Sir Keir Starmer – opening the debate on investigating claims that Mr Johnson misled the House – said the motion “seeks to defend the simple principle that honesty, integrity and telling the truth matter”.
Urging Tory MPs to back the motion supported by opposition parties, he added: “It’s a principle that’s been cherished by Conservatives for as long as that party has existed … Everyone should support this passing today.”
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford was allowed to repeatedly call Boris Johnson “a liar” in parliament, unchallenged by Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle.
“There is one thing that needs to be said … The prime minister of the United Kingdom is a liar,” said Mr Blackford. “He lied to avoid getting caught. And once he got caught, he lied again.”
It was only when Mr Blackford made a reference to Mr Johnson “lying to the Queen” that the Speaker challenged the SNP. “I’ve asked for moderate language … ‘lying to the Queen’ I’m not happy [with]. I want you to withdraw that.”
The Speaker said he wanted Mr Blackford to stick to “the terms of what we are debating” – apparently allowing claims of “liar” to be made because of the nature the discussion on whether the PM misled the House.
Tory MP William Wragg – who called for the PM to go earlier this year, but has been quiet since – said: “I cannot reconcile myself to the prime minister’s continued leadership of our country and the Conservative party.”
Revealing he had submitted a no-confidence letter, Mr Wragg said it was “utterly depressing to be asked to defend the indefensible” – and urged colleagues to make their minds up on Mr Johnson’s leadership.
He added: “We must stop delegating and delaying our political judgement. We each only have our own limited and imperfect integrity. We can’t keep spending it on others who we cannot be sure will not let us down.”
Senior government figures now expect the motion to pass, meaning Mr Johnson will face an investigation into his comments about parties – including his December claim “that all guidance was followed in No 10”.
Mr Johnson’s aides are also braced for him to receive multiple fines, having already been handed one fixed-penalty notice for the gathering on his 56th birthday. He is thought to have been at six of the 12 events under investigation by Scotland Yard.
