Boris Johnson has been forced to abandon efforts to block an inquiry into whether he misled MPs over Partygate lockdown breaches, instead urging rebellious MPs to delay any investigation.
Government whips scrambled on Wednesday night to derail a Labour motion designed to trigger a Commons inquiry into whether Johnson lied about rule-breaking in Downing Street – including the potential release of hundreds of damaging messages and photographs.
Amid a growing backlash from Tory MPs, the government privately conceded it could not whip them to block an inquiry by the Commons privileges committee. It instead tabled a motion to delay the inquiry until after the publication of the final Partygate report by Sue Gray, a senior civil servant.
Johnson’s MPs were put on a three-line whip to back the new amendment. The prime minister, who flew to India for a trade visit on Wednesday, will swerve the debate and vote on the motion on Thursday.
His allies had earlier briefed that they were prepared to force Tory MPs to vote down the motion from Labour and other opposition parties. But even among frontbenchers there was palpable disquiet that MPs should be forced to block an investigation into the prime minister, who received a police fixed-penalty notice last week.
One minister admitted it would be hard to justify Johnson avoiding an investigation for potentially misleading parliament, saying: “If it’s the same process every MP faces, then why should it be different for the PM?”
A government spokesperson said: “The government has tabled an amendment to Labour’s motion which says that consideration of this matter should take place after the conclusion of the police investigation and the publication of the Cabinet Office [Sue Gray] report, allowing MPs to have all the facts at their disposal.”
A Downing Street source insisted it was not a wrecking amendment but said “now is not the time” to consider the issue. Asked whether the government had been at risk of losing Thursday’s vote, they said “no”.
A privileges committee inquiry could be highly damaging even if Johnson is ultimately not formally censured. It would include the right to demand more than 300 photographs believed to have been collated by the original inquiry into rule-breaking by Gray, which have been passed to the Metropolitan police.
Sir Charles Walker, the vice-chair of the 1922 Committee of backbenchers, told the BBC he would “probably” abstain at Thursday’s vote but said he would not vote with Labour.
“As much as I am deeply annoyed at what went on in No 10, I am also not in a position where I have much goodwill towards a Labour party who, in my view, failed to advance any form of arguments or raise any of its own concerns about the consequences of a 20-month lockdown.”
Thursday’s motion gives four examples of Johnson assuring MPs, including him being “repeatedly assured since these allegations emerged that there was no party and that no Covid rules were broken”.
The motion also says the inquiry should begin after the conclusion of the Met investigation, with Johnson expected to receive at least three more fines for breaches in the coming weeks.
Labour sources said they had drafted the motion to allow the least possible wriggle room for Tory MPs. “This is not our first rodeo,” a senior aide said. “They’re looking for a life raft to try and desperately hold on to.”
A former Tory minister insisted they would refuse to vote against the motion unamended, saying: “How can I say he’s completely innocent but there’s no need for an investigation to prove it?” Another MP said he had warned whips there would be at least 30 abstentions unless they devised an off-ramp.
A number of Conservative MPs said they had privately urged whips to come up with a solution. “It’s untenable for me to vote to block an investigation if I’m to defend the PM with my constituents,” a backbencher said.
Some had urged Johnson to get ahead of Starmer’s ploy by referring himself to the privileges committee to dispel suggestions of another cover up. “If you can’t escape it, you might as well get on the front foot,” said one. Government sources said that option had been rejected.
But throughout Wednesday MPs continued to make the argument that Johnson should allow the investigation to take place. A former cabinet minister asked: “How on earth could anyone oppose it?” They said the government should wave the motion through and then “kill it off” in the committee.
Labour also moved to blunt arguments from the Tory whips that a Partygate inquiry would be prejudiced because it would be chaired by Labour’s Chris Bryant, a fierce critic of the prime minister. One MP said Johnson had dubbed it “the Bryant committee”.
On Wednesday Bryant recused himself from any future inquiry because of his past comments criticising Johnson. The Guardian understands Bryant went to see Sir Graham Brady, the chair of the 1922 group, on Wednesday and told him he would recuse himself, prompting relief among backbench Tories that they could vote for the motion.
In an open letter to colleagues, Bryant said he believed he would have been able to chair the inquiry fairly but that it was important for the committee to be seen to proceed “without any imputation of unfairness”.
Labour sources said Bryant’s recusal had damaged Johnson’s argument that the proposed investigation was entirely politically motivated. The Tory MP Bernard Jenkin is expected to chair any inquiry in Bryant’s absence.
Speaking to journalists on the flight to India, Johnson emphasised that he had more important priorities than the inquiry into lockdown breaches. “You’re better off talking about things other than politicians themselves,” he said. “The best thing to do for the people, for parliament, is to get on and focus on the things we were elected to do.”
But the Partygate inquiry row inflamed memories of the Owen Paterson sleaze scandal, where furious MPs told Johnson they had been humiliated by attempts to change the parliamentary disciplinary system last year for MPs in order to protect the former cabinet minister from censure.
A Labour source said: “It’s clear Tory MPs are done defending the widespread criminality we’ve seen in No 10 … That’s why Tory whips obviously knew that they couldn’t vote this down. They clearly haven’t learnt a thing from the mess they got into over Owen Paterson. Boris Johnson is trying to rig the rules to deflect from his own law-breaking. Any Tory MP who votes for this is voting for a cover-up.”
