‘Livid’ Tory backbencher says he has ‘had enough of talentless people’

Conservative backbencher says he has ‘not seen anything like’ scenes in Commons on Wednesday

A Conservative backbencher has said he has “had enough of talentless people“ after MPs were allegedly “manhandled” and “bullied” in the House of Commons during a vote on fracking.

MP Sir Charles Walker was visibly angry as he said MPs were all at the despatch box when they were told - contrary to earlier instructions - that the division would no longer be treated as a vote of confidence.

The U-turn caused chaos in the division lobbies and Labour’s Chris Bryant claimed he saw MPs being “physically manhandled” and “bullied” into the voting lobby.

As the vote descended into a farce, chief whip Wendy Morton - furious over the last-minute change in plan - declared her resignation in the voting lobby, eye-witnesses said. However, Downing Street later confirmed she and deputy chief whip Craig Whittaker remain in their roles.

In an interview with the BBC, Sir Charles, MP for Broxbourne, said he thought the whole thing was “pitiful”.

He said: “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.

“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.”

Sir Charles said he doesn’t think there is any coming back from this for the Truss administration, adding: “I have to say I’ve been of that view really since two weeks ago.”

“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,” he said.

Sir Charles added: “I have had enough of talentless people - putting their tick in the right box, not because it’s in the national interest but because it’s in their personal interest to achieve ministerial position.”

It comes after former Labour minister Mr Bryant urged the Commons Deputy Speaker to launch an investigation after he claimed to see MPs being “physically manhandled” and “bullied” during the fracking vote.

Labour’s motion was defeated by 230 votes to 326, majority 96.

After the vote was announced, Mr Bryant urged her to investigate the “scenes outside the entrance to the No lobby”.

The MP for Rhondda claimed cabinet ministers Therese Coffey and Jacob Rees-Mogg were among a group of senior Tories who were putting pressure on Conservative MPs to vote against the Labour motion on fracking.

Mr Bryant told Sky News that one MP, Alex Stafford, had been “physically manhandled” into the “no” lobby.

Business secretary Mr Rees-Mogg dismissed reports that Tory MPs were bullied, saying: “I think to characterise it as bullying is mistaken.

“I did hear one person shout and use an expletive as he marched in. He said everyone should go and vote and he said that loudly. But he didn’t say it to anyone individually. He said it to the assembled crowd.

“There were some people waiting outside the division lobby who weren’t sure whether it was a vote of no confidence or not and there was some discussion on the issue. It was a perfectly normal discussion.”

He said there had been “confusion” after a “junior official” from No 10 had relayed a message to the government frontbench that it was no longer a confidence vote.

“Nobody else was aware of that. Most members thought it was a vote of confidence,” he said.

Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg has dismissed reports that Tory MPs were bullied into entering the “no” lobby in the Commons ((Aaron Chown/PA))

Therese Coffey also denied she “manhandled” Tory MPs. “Absolutely she was encouraging Con MPs into the government lobby but she didn’t manhandle anyone,” a source said.

Lib Dem chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said she had only heard reports about what happened in the no lobby, but added there appeared to be grounds for an investigation.

She said: “It certainly sounds like there needs to be an urgent investigation and I understand the Speaker is speaking to Madam Deputy Speaker now. But yes, I think we are looking at there should be a degree of censure for that kind of behaviour.

“There are plenty of eyewitnesses, frankly. There will not be just eyewitnesses who are other MPs, they will be doorkeepers et cetera.

“It is a horrendous loss of discipline and, just frankly, what message does it send to the country that people feel it is appropriate to behave in that way in this place when they are supposed to be representing their constituents?”

Shadow minister Anna McMorrin wrote on Twitter that she witnessed one Conservative MP “in tears” in the lobby.

Ms McMorrin, who is 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” and added that it was “astonishing”.

Labour MP 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.”