Chaos Erupts in Parliament as Tory Whips Accused of Bullying Over Fracking Vote
New Tory Chief Whip Scrambles to Keep Control
Wendy Morton, the West Midlands MP for Aldridge-Brownhills since 2015, was appointed chief whip just six weeks ago by Liz Truss. Her job? Keep Tory MPs in line. But she’s been thrown into the deep end amid scenes of parliamentary mayhem during a showdown over shale gas extraction.
Labour MPs Claim MPs Were ‘Physically Manhandled’
Senior Labour MP Chris Bryant has called for an investigation after witnessing what he alleges were “physical manhandling” incidents in the voting lobby. He claims government whips, responsible for party discipline, bullied and harassed Tory colleagues over a crucial vote on fracking.
“I never seen scenes like it,”
tweeted Labour’s Shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray. He described Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg yelling at MPs, whips screaming, and colleagues being dragged into the lobby.
Fracking Vote Sparks Rebellion and Drama
Despite threats from some Tory MPs to defy the government, Labour pushed a vote to ban fracking. The result? 96 MPs in favour, and 326 against—a decisive defeat for the anti-fracking campaign.
The Tories had ordered their MPs to vote against the ban or face expulsion from the party. Yet three Conservative rebels, including ex-climate minister Chris Skidmore, refused to back fracking, saying they “couldn’t vote tonight to support fracking.”
Government’s Fracking Plans Face First Big Test
This vote was the first parliamentary hurdle for the government’s shale gas proposals. With a hefty Tory majority, failure was unlikely. But the scenes of shouting, manhandling, and visible dissent highlight cracks in party discipline under the new whip’s watch.
