Partygate: MPs to be given free vote on inquiry into whether Boris Johnson mislead parliament

Conservative MPs will be given a free vote on Labour’s motion, seeking a parliamentary investigation into claims Boris Johnson lied to MPs about the partygate scandal.

Initially, Tory MPs were ordered to back an amendment which delayed any decision until after the Met Police enquiry, and the Sue Gray report, had been concluded.

Commons leader Mark Spencer said: ‘The prime minister has indicated he’s keen for the house to decide on the business later today.

‘The vote on the unamended House business will be a free vote to all Conservative MPs and that’ll be the case this afternoon.’

The prime minister said MPs should have the ‘full facts’ before deciding whether a commons committee should look into the allegations.

He will miss the commons vote on a Labour-led motion calling for the Privileges Committee investigation because he is on an official visit to India.

Mr Johnson denied misleading MPs over parties held during the Covid lockdown.

A senior government source said Boris Johnson was ‘happy to face’ a parliamentary inquiry after Tory MPs were granted a free vote on whether he should.

The source said: ‘The prime minister has always been clear that he’s happy to face whatever inquiries parliament sees fit and is happy for the house to decide how it wishes to proceed today and therefore will not be whipping Conservative MPs.

‘They are free to vote according to how they believe we should move forward on this.’

The decision follows speculation at Westminster that some Tory MPs were not prepared to back the Government’s attempt to kick the issue into the long grass.

Asked on the first day of his trade mission to India whether he knowingly or unknowingly misled Parliament, Mr Johnson said: ‘Of course not.’

He told reporters: ‘I’m very keen for every possible form of scrutiny and the House of Commons can do whatever it wants to do.

‘But all I would say is I don’t think that should happen until the investigation is completed.’

A Labour source claimed any Conservative supporting the amendment would be ‘voting for a cover up’.

Conservatives were facing pressure to back the opposition bid for a parliamentary investigation after Mr Johnson was fined by police over a birthday event in 2020.

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The Prime Minister has resisted calls to resign from opposition MPs and a handful of Tory rebels, and told reporters on his flight to Gujarat that ‘of course’ he would fight the next general election.

Pressed on whether there were no circumstances under which he would consider resigning, Mr Johnson told journalists travelling with him: ‘Not a lot that spring to mind at the moment.’

Mr Johnson’s aides are braced for him to receive multiple fines, having already been handed one fixed-penalty notice for the gathering on his 56th birthday.

He is thought to have been at six of the 12 events under investigation by Scotland Yard.

The Prime Minister said: ‘Politics has taught me one thing which is you’re better off talking and focusing on the things that matter, the things that make a real difference to the electorate and not about politicians themselves.’