Allegations of ministers bullying Conservative MPs during a House of Commons vote are under investigation by the parliamentary authorities.
Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has asked the Serjeant at Arms, who is responsible for keeping order within the Commons, and other senior officials to examine the claims.
Health Secretary Therese Coffey and Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg are among the group of senior Tories accused of bullying the party’s MPs into voting against Labour’s motion on fracking.
I remind Members that the behaviour code applies to them as well as to other members of our parliamentary community— Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle
Opposition politicians claimed one Conservative MP was “physically manhandled” into the “No” lobby to ensure he opposed the motion, which had sought to pave the way to ban fracking.
Mr Rees-Mogg insisted he had seen no evidence of anyone being manhandled and there had simply been a “normal” discussion among MPs as they prepared to vote, while Ms Coffey also denied the claim.
Sir Lindsay, opening proceedings in the chamber on Thursday, told MPs: “I wish to say something about the reports of behaviour in the division lobbies last night.
“I have asked the Serjeant at Arms and other senior officials to investigate the incident and report back to me. I will then update the House.
“I remind Members that the behaviour code applies to them as well as to other members of our parliamentary community, and this gives me another opportunity to talk about the kind of House I want to see and I believe that the vast majority of MPs also want to see.
“I want this to be a House in which we, while we might have very strong political disagreements, treat each other courteously and with respect, and we should show the same courtesy and respect to those who work with and for us.
“To that end I will be meeting with senior party representatives to seek an agreed position that behaviour like that described last night is not acceptable in all circumstances.”
For Labour, shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire said Parliament “ought to be a model workplace” and pressed for an investigation.
Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt endorsed the Speaker’s statement and insisted she is against bullying inside and outside Parliament.
Ms Mordaunt told MPs: “Can I start by thanking the Speaker for his statement at the start of business, which I do wholeheartedly endorse.
“We have ways of organising ourselves in a party system in this place but ultimately we are all individuals making judgments about what is in the best interests of the country and our constituents, and sometimes votes are about more than the issue that has been debated.”
Ms Mordaunt criticised Labour’s motion for attempting to “seize control of proceedings” in the Commons and “spark the usual social media outrage”.
She added: “Many members on this side of the House have worked hard to ensure that fracking is rightly not imposed on their community and it is by their efforts that fracking is not in their community and it’s the Government’s policy to allow fracking where there is consent.”
Ms Mordaunt went on: “I’m happy to go on record to say that I’m against bullying both in Parliament and outside it, too.”
Labour MP Anna McMorrin (Cardiff North) said: “What I witnessed yesterday in the entrance to the voting lobby was an absolute disgrace – a clearly visibly distressed Tory MP being forced against his will and bullied, manhandled into the voting chamber.”
Ms Mordaunt faced shouts of “shame” as she replied: “I am not aware of any such substantiated allegations at all and I am afraid I would say to her, if she wants to help the situation, think about what she could do to assist that situation, and I would ask her to check that against her behaviour today.”
Labour former minister Chris Bryant later apologised for taking a photo of the incident in the voting lobbies despite knowing it breached the etiquette of the House.
He said: “I think, however, it’s very important that we understand if 12 Members were to stand around a member of staff in that way, they’d probably end up being suspended from the House for a long period of time.
“We’ve only just started taking bullying seriously in this Parliament.”
