Boris Johnson has today blocked Labour's bid to hold a vote of no confidence in the Tory government.
The Opposition planned to table the motion today - with a vote on Wednesday - after it emerged the PM would cling to office until September 5.
However, Downing Street has told Labour leader Keir Starmer that they will not give him the time in the House of Commons for the debate and vote to go ahead.
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The shocking decision has in-turn sparked a bitter war in the form of words between the Tories and their Opposition tonight.
A senior Labour source told The Mirror : "The Government is refusing to give us time for a vote of no confidence in the Commons despite all the conventions that this should be granted. It's just another example of them ripping up the rules to protect their own side. They're saying the PM is going anyway but they're clearly frightened of losing".
If the vote passes, the tradition is that the Prime Minister's government would either resign or seek a general election.
A Labour spokesperson added: “This clapped-out government is running scared and refusing to allow time to debate Labour’s vote of no confidence motion. "This is totally unprecedented. Yet again the Tories are changing the rules to protect their own dodgy mates. All the Tory leadership candidates should denounce this flagrant abuse of power to protect a discredited Prime Minister.”
Johnson's allies also accused Labour of not tabling a no-confidence vote in the proper manner - as it was phrased differently to the majority of votes of its kind. Instead of being solely in the government, the motion was in “Her Majesty’s Government while [Boris Johnson] remains Prime Minister”.
A government spokesperson said that Labour is “playing politics” when the Prime Minister has already agreed to resign - wasting Parliamentary time.
However, a Labour source hit back that clerks in Parliament had ruled the motion in order and that it in fact had precedent. In 1965, a no confidence vote was also pointed out to have been worded: "That this House has no confidence in Her Majesty’s Government and deplores the Prime Minister’s conduct of the nation’s affairs.”
A government spokesperson insisted: “We have given Labour the option to table a straightforward vote of no confidence in the Government... Should Labour amend their motion appropriately, they can have the next business day for it to be debated."
It is now understood that negotiations are ongoing between party whips over the motion, and despite Tory MPs forcing him out, defeat for the current PM would be highly unlikely. With a 73 seat majority, and Tories not likely to vote down their on government with a new leader on the way - it would be a certain defeat for the Opposition.
MPs from all parties were previously expected to vote on the motion tomorrow, with the Opposition saying it's 'intolerable' that the PM can cling on for a number of further weeks. Johnson accepted defeat following a crippling wave of resignations last week, but said that he will remain in power until a successor from his party is firmly in place.
He will remain at Number 10 until September in a caretaker role, unless calls to leave sooner are answered.
Ten Tory MPs have currently got their name in the hat to be Johnson's successor - with former Chancellor Rishi Sunak the frontrunner.
Sir Keir Starmer has voiced his concerns that Boris will remain in his role for the next few weeks, saying: "Labour is laying a vote of no confidence in this caretaker Prime Minister and his Government. The Tory party has at last concluded that the Prime Minister is unfit for office, that was blindingly obvious a very, very long time ago.
"He is leaving because his own party has concluded that he can't be trusted. They can't now let him cling on for weeks, and weeks, and weeks until September 5. It would be intolerable for the country. Since the Tories have failed to act in the national interest, Labour will."
The Labour leader continued: "We have put down a vote of no confidence, and challenged any Tory MP who in the last few days has said 'I can't serve Boris Johnson because you can't trust a word the man says', 'I can't go on the media because the lines he gives us always unravel'.
"Can they really vote to say he should stay in power for another few weeks? We're challenging them to put their constituents first, and put the country first."
In another spat of embarrassment for the caretaker Prime Minister, a removal van is set to pull up outside Downing Street with the message 'Boris: Leave means leave," written upon it. Matthew McGregor, of campaign group 38 Degrees - which is behind the stunt - said: “The public have been clear that they want Boris Johnson to leave Number 10 immediately, so we thought we’d give him a hand moving out. We’ll even steam off the gold-plated wallpaper.
“This damaging psychodrama in Westminster is hurting our democracy, and the longer Mr Johnson squats in Downing Street, the deeper that damage will be."
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey, added: “This is the chance for Conservative leadership candidates to put their money where their mouth is and finally kick Boris Johnson out of Number 10. If they fail to do so, all the talk about restoring integrity and honesty to their party will be exposed as nothing but hot air.
“The public is sick of the Conservative Party propping up Johnson instead of tackling the health crisis and cost of living emergency.
“It’s little wonder that so many Conservative MPs are running scared of a general election.”
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