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20
Oct 2022
Harrogate district MPs back government amid chaotic fracking vote
Two Harrogate district MPs voted against a motion to ban fracking last night amid a chaotic night in the House of Commons.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer tabled the motion as part of an opposition day debate to introduce a law to ban fracking in the UK.
Conservative MPs were whipped to vote with the government in what was seen as a test of confidence in Prime Minister Liz Truss.
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, Andrew Jones, and Julian Smith, Skipton and Ripon MP, voted against the motion. Nigel Adams, Selby and Ainsty which includes rural Harrogate, did not vote.
Mr Adams was one of 40 Conservative MPs who did not take part.
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The government won by 319 votes to 228 - however the night descended into chaos amid allegations that Tory MPs were “bullied and manhandled” into supporting the Prime Minister.
Confusion arose when Graham Stuart, climate minister, told the Commons before MPs entered the voting lobby that "obviously, this is not a confidence vote".
The move led to whips trying to get their own Conservative MPs to vote against the opposition motion.
Charles Walker, a Conservative MP, described what he saw as “inexcusable” and said there was “no coming back” for the government.
Following the vote, Labour MP Chris Bryant urged the deputy speaker of the House of Commons to investigate the claims.
He said:
Speaking about the allegations, Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg told Sky News that to "characterise it as bullying was mistaken”.
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