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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jul/19/tory-whip-julian-smith-urged-to-explain-pairing-breach-that-caused-serious-damage
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| Jo Swinson pairing row: Tory whip urged to explain breach | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Opposition parties called for the chief Conservative whip, Julian Smith, to explain himself to MPs in person after it emerged that a Conservative MP had breached a pairing agreement on Tuesday’s trade bill vote and rumours circulated that other Tories had been asked to break the parliamentary convention. | Opposition parties called for the chief Conservative whip, Julian Smith, to explain himself to MPs in person after it emerged that a Conservative MP had breached a pairing agreement on Tuesday’s trade bill vote and rumours circulated that other Tories had been asked to break the parliamentary convention. |
| Alistair Carmichael, the Liberal Democrat chief whip, called for Smith to take the unusual step of making a statement to the Commons in person to explain why the Tory MP Brandon Lewis who had been paired with Jo Swinson, who is on maternity leave, had voted in the two key amendments on Tuesday. | Alistair Carmichael, the Liberal Democrat chief whip, called for Smith to take the unusual step of making a statement to the Commons in person to explain why the Tory MP Brandon Lewis who had been paired with Jo Swinson, who is on maternity leave, had voted in the two key amendments on Tuesday. |
| He said that what happened had done “serious damage” to the functioning of the house and that a statement from Smith was necessary to restore trust in the pairing arrangements, which allow MPs who are unavailable for good reason to be paired with an opposing member so their absence is not penalised. | He said that what happened had done “serious damage” to the functioning of the house and that a statement from Smith was necessary to restore trust in the pairing arrangements, which allow MPs who are unavailable for good reason to be paired with an opposing member so their absence is not penalised. |
| Soon after Carmichael’s intervention Tory MP Andrew Bridgen seemed to cast doubt on claims that the incident was an honest mistake. Bridgen told the BBC’s Daily Politics: “I think the fact that Brandon Lewis abstained on six votes and then just mysteriously voted on the vital two - I think it tells you all you need to know.” | Soon after Carmichael’s intervention Tory MP Andrew Bridgen seemed to cast doubt on claims that the incident was an honest mistake. Bridgen told the BBC’s Daily Politics: “I think the fact that Brandon Lewis abstained on six votes and then just mysteriously voted on the vital two - I think it tells you all you need to know.” |
| Pairing is a longstanding convention of the Commons, where the whips of the government and an opposition party agree to allow MPs from one side or the other to miss a vote in the house because of personal reasons or official business. The other party agrees to hold back one of their MPs from voting so the two absences cancel each other out and cannot affect the final result. | Pairing is a longstanding convention of the Commons, where the whips of the government and an opposition party agree to allow MPs from one side or the other to miss a vote in the house because of personal reasons or official business. The other party agrees to hold back one of their MPs from voting so the two absences cancel each other out and cannot affect the final result. |
| Lewis, the Conservative party chair, voted twice in the trade bill debate, on the two most contentious amendments. One was on a vote on staying in the customs union if the UK fails to agree a trade deal with the EU, which was narrowly defeated by the government by 307 to 301. Lewis also voted on amendment relating to EU medicines regulation, which the government lost by four, 305 to 301. | Lewis, the Conservative party chair, voted twice in the trade bill debate, on the two most contentious amendments. One was on a vote on staying in the customs union if the UK fails to agree a trade deal with the EU, which was narrowly defeated by the government by 307 to 301. Lewis also voted on amendment relating to EU medicines regulation, which the government lost by four, 305 to 301. |
| Responding for the government, Andrea Leadsom, the leader of the Commons, apologised for what happened in the Swinson case, saying it was an error, and that she had texted her own apologies to the Lib Dem, who recently had a baby. “I will continue to ensure that her maternity pair is in place,” Leadsom added. | Responding for the government, Andrea Leadsom, the leader of the Commons, apologised for what happened in the Swinson case, saying it was an error, and that she had texted her own apologies to the Lib Dem, who recently had a baby. “I will continue to ensure that her maternity pair is in place,” Leadsom added. |
| Labour’s Wes Streeting said there had been further reports that two other Tory MPs had been told by Smith they should vote on Tuesday despite being told they were paired. What happened, Streeting said, “was not a result of accident, it was a result of design” and accused Leadsom of being “set up, to mislead, however inadvertently”. | Labour’s Wes Streeting said there had been further reports that two other Tory MPs had been told by Smith they should vote on Tuesday despite being told they were paired. What happened, Streeting said, “was not a result of accident, it was a result of design” and accused Leadsom of being “set up, to mislead, however inadvertently”. |
| That prompted an angry response from Leadsom, who said she was one of the Conservative pairs. She said it was “absolutely abhorrent to be calling out me in particular” and, referring to the Swinson breach, added: “I assured the house yesterday that it was an error.” | That prompted an angry response from Leadsom, who said she was one of the Conservative pairs. She said it was “absolutely abhorrent to be calling out me in particular” and, referring to the Swinson breach, added: “I assured the house yesterday that it was an error.” |
| The leader of the Commons told Streeting she was one of three Conservative pairs for the votes on Tuesday, and speaking in defence of Smith: “I did not receive any call for anyone telling me to vote.” | The leader of the Commons told Streeting she was one of three Conservative pairs for the votes on Tuesday, and speaking in defence of Smith: “I did not receive any call for anyone telling me to vote.” |
| Smith was not present in the Chamber during the debate on whipping. | Smith was not present in the Chamber during the debate on whipping. |
| A statement released by the Conservative party said: “We have apologised for the fact that a pregnancy pairing arrangement was broken in error this week. No other pairs offered on the trade bill on Tuesday were broken.” | A statement released by the Conservative party said: “We have apologised for the fact that a pregnancy pairing arrangement was broken in error this week. No other pairs offered on the trade bill on Tuesday were broken.” |
| No 10 referred questions about the developing row to the Conservative party but said Theresa May had confidence in Smith. | No 10 referred questions about the developing row to the Conservative party but said Theresa May had confidence in Smith. |
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