A senior minister has strongly criticised Labour MPs who defied the party whip to support a Conservative motion calling for an investigation into Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the Peter Mandelson affair.
Rebel MPs Condemned
Housing Secretary Steve Reed dismissed the 15 backbenchers who voted in favour of a Tory bid to refer Mr Starmer to the Privileges Committee as the 'usual suspects'. Speaking to Sky News, Mr Reed said: 'The vast majority of us voted together. You've got a handful of usual suspects that will repeatedly vote against the Government.'
He added: 'They're not going to distract us. You know, we've got the renters rights reforms coming in this Friday, which gives renters people who rent their home the biggest increase in protections and rights that we've had for a generation. That is what voters want us to focus on. Not a handful of people that go off and don't play the team game with the rest of us. 99% of us are united with the prime minister so that we can focus on the issues that matter to them.'
Vote Outcome
On Tuesday evening, MPs voted down the Conservative motion to refer Mr Starmer to the committee that previously investigated Boris Johnson over Partygate. The government won the vote by 335 to 223, a majority of 112. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch was accused of playing political games by calling the vote.
Besides the 15 rebels, 53 other Labour MPs did not vote, though some may have been absent due to illness or other commitments. The rebels included Apsana Begum, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Mary Kelly Foy, Imran Hussain, Brian Leishman, Emma Lewell, Rebecca Long Bailey, Andy McDonald, John McDonnell, Grahame Morris, Luke Myer, Kate Osborne, Cat Smith, and Nadia Whittome.
Government Unity
Mr Reed stressed that the overwhelming majority of Labour MPs backed the government, accusing the Tories of engaging in political games. He noted a 'real sense of unity' within the parliamentary party, stating: 'The Tories called this vote really for party political reasons. There's it's right there should be scrutiny over this issue. We're getting that through the publication of papers and documents and the humble address, and the Foreign Affairs Select Committee carrying out their work. But voters want us to focus on the issues that matter most to them.'
Cabinet Minister Darren Jones also criticised the opposition, accusing Kemi Badenoch of 'ranting incoherence' and branding the move a 'politically motivated spectacle'. He told MPs: 'Rather than focus on the issues that affect our constituents and the country most, what do the opposition benches do? They try to shift the goalposts and have tried again and again to make their arguments fit. Today alone we have heard them bounce from one accusation to another in a desperate search for something that will stick.'
Rebel Voices
Several Labour MPs expressed anger at being whipped to oppose the motion. Ms Whittome said: 'If we're to preserve what little trust still remains in our political system, it is vital that ministers demonstrate the utmost transparency, and it's vital that we as MPs, no matter our political allegiance, do not allow the impression that we are in any way attempting to cover things up for the leadership of our parties.' Mr Leishman added: 'This motion is designed to embarrass the prime minister and put Labour MPs in an awkward position. And not for the first time as Labour MPs, we are in an awkward position and not for the first time, it is because of the prime minister's actions and not that of the opposition.'
