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| Johnson's majority slashed as 38 Tory rebels fire warning shot over Huawei's involvement in 5G - live news | Johnson's majority slashed as 38 Tory rebels fire warning shot over Huawei's involvement in 5G - live news |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| MPs vote down Iain Duncan Smith’s amendment by 306 votes to 282, cutting Boris Johnson’s working majority of 87 | MPs vote down Iain Duncan Smith’s amendment by 306 votes to 282, cutting Boris Johnson’s working majority of 87 |
| Boris Johnson is under pressure to announce a firm deadline for the removal of Huawei from the UK’s 5G network after 38 Tory MPs rebelled in a vote on the issue, slashing his majority by almost three quarters. The PM still won the division reasonably comfortably, but he should have a working majority of 87, and instead he won by just 24. (See 3.57pm.) All opposition parties apart from the DUP backed the rebel amendment, tabled by the former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, that was intended to stop the government using Huawei in 5G from 2023. Duncan Smith, who thinks the Chinese firm is a threat to UK national security, said that he was flexible about the deadline, but that he did want the government to set at timescale for the removal of Huawei from the network. Ministers have said that they will cap Huawei’s involvement in 5G at 35%, and that they want to lower this cap over time, as other supply options become available. In the debate Oliver Dowden, the culture secretary, said that the government would bring forward a telecommunications security bill by the summer, which MPs could amend, and that the government was committed to working with Five Eyes partners (ie, intelligence allies) on developing an alternative to Huawei during this parliament. (See 2.48pm.) At one stage it looked as if the Dowden concessions had been choreographed to match the Duncan Smith demands and that Duncan Smith might withdraw his amendment. But during the debate Dowden failed to give Tory MPs the verbal assurances that they wanted, and Duncan Smith decided to force a vote. (See 3.03pm.) | |
| The government is under growing pressure to toughen up its coronavirus response as the number of confirmed cases in the UK rose to 373 and a sixth death was announced. There is full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak on our special live blog here. | |
| Ministers should behave professionally and courteously when dealing with civil servants and could be given training if they fail to do so, Sir Mark Sedwill, the UK’s most senior civil servant, has told MPs. | |
| The chancellor must use the budget on Wednesday to announce an emergency stimulus package to help the economy cope with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, according to one of Britain’s biggest investment companies. | |
| The official division list for the Huawei vote is now up. | The official division list for the Huawei vote is now up. |
| Some 38 Tory MPs actively rebelled - two serving as tellers, and 36 voting against the government. That is 10 more than the number of Conservatives who signed the Iain Duncan Smith amendment that was put to the vote. | Some 38 Tory MPs actively rebelled - two serving as tellers, and 36 voting against the government. That is 10 more than the number of Conservatives who signed the Iain Duncan Smith amendment that was put to the vote. |
| There were also 22 Tory MPs who did not vote. Most of those were probably authorised absences, but the list may include some MPs who were actively abstaining rather than supporting the government. There were 17 Labour MPs who did not vote. | There were also 22 Tory MPs who did not vote. Most of those were probably authorised absences, but the list may include some MPs who were actively abstaining rather than supporting the government. There were 17 Labour MPs who did not vote. |
| Boris Johnson also had the support of the DUP in this vote, but only partially. Five of the DUP’s eight MPs voted with the government; the other three did not vote. | Boris Johnson also had the support of the DUP in this vote, but only partially. Five of the DUP’s eight MPs voted with the government; the other three did not vote. |
| Last year the House of Commons became very good at releasing division lists quickly after votes took place. They were often available within 15 minutes or so. But today they have been hopeless - they’re “a bit rusty”, an official told me - and they are still not available on the Commons website. | Last year the House of Commons became very good at releasing division lists quickly after votes took place. They were often available within 15 minutes or so. But today they have been hopeless - they’re “a bit rusty”, an official told me - and they are still not available on the Commons website. |
| But the New Statesman’s Stephen Bush has done us all a favour and compiled a list of the 38 Tory rebels. Here it is. | But the New Statesman’s Stephen Bush has done us all a favour and compiled a list of the 38 Tory rebels. Here it is. |
| Yesterday Rory Stewart, the former Tory international development secretary, made a dramatic intervention in the coronavirus debate, calling for all schools to be closed now. Stewart says his views were shaped by what happened with Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which led him to conclude that early action was vital in these circumstances, but there were also suspicions that his desire to say something hard-hitting may have been influenced by the fact that he is standing as an independent candidate for London mayor, and not making much of an impact in the race so far. | Yesterday Rory Stewart, the former Tory international development secretary, made a dramatic intervention in the coronavirus debate, calling for all schools to be closed now. Stewart says his views were shaped by what happened with Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which led him to conclude that early action was vital in these circumstances, but there were also suspicions that his desire to say something hard-hitting may have been influenced by the fact that he is standing as an independent candidate for London mayor, and not making much of an impact in the race so far. |
| Stewart’s weakness as a candidate has been highlighted by new polling today for the Evening Standard showing his support on just 13%. He is in third place. Sadiq Khan, the Labour mayor, is miles ahead, on 49%, with a 25-point lead over his Conservative rival, Shaun Bailey. | Stewart’s weakness as a candidate has been highlighted by new polling today for the Evening Standard showing his support on just 13%. He is in third place. Sadiq Khan, the Labour mayor, is miles ahead, on 49%, with a 25-point lead over his Conservative rival, Shaun Bailey. |
| Philip Cowley, politics professor at Queen Mary University of London, has an analysis of the results here. Here is an excerpt. | Philip Cowley, politics professor at Queen Mary University of London, has an analysis of the results here. Here is an excerpt. |
| As well as a rebellion on Huawei, earlier today the government faced some – so far mild and very polite – objections to another area of policy from Jeremy Hunt, the former health secretary and rival to Boris Johnson for the Tory leadership. | As well as a rebellion on Huawei, earlier today the government faced some – so far mild and very polite – objections to another area of policy from Jeremy Hunt, the former health secretary and rival to Boris Johnson for the Tory leadership. |
| At health questions in the Commons, Hunt, who has so far been pointedly loyal since returning to the backbenches, asked about post-Brexit plans for immigration, and how a preferential system for health workers does not apply for social care staff – something the sector is deeply worried about. | At health questions in the Commons, Hunt, who has so far been pointedly loyal since returning to the backbenches, asked about post-Brexit plans for immigration, and how a preferential system for health workers does not apply for social care staff – something the sector is deeply worried about. |
| Addressing the new junior health and social care minister, Helen Whateley, Hunt said: | Addressing the new junior health and social care minister, Helen Whateley, Hunt said: |
| Whateley replied that she was “well aware” of concerns in the social care sector, but indicated the government was not about to shift. She said: | Whateley replied that she was “well aware” of concerns in the social care sector, but indicated the government was not about to shift. She said: |
| This is a row which could run. | This is a row which could run. |
| Here is the Labour MP Toby Perkins on the Tory rebels. | Here is the Labour MP Toby Perkins on the Tory rebels. |
| This is from the Tory MP Tim Loughton, explaining why he voted against the government. | This is from the Tory MP Tim Loughton, explaining why he voted against the government. |
| From the BBC’s Vicki Young | From the BBC’s Vicki Young |
| And this is from Bob Seely, who is one of the Tory rebels. | And this is from Bob Seely, who is one of the Tory rebels. |
| The Conservative MP Steve Baker, who is something of an expert in organising Tory backbench rebellions, but who did back the government over Huawei this afternoon, says he thinks the government will have to include a firm deadline for the exclusion of Huawei from 5G when it introduces its telecommunications security bill later this year. | The Conservative MP Steve Baker, who is something of an expert in organising Tory backbench rebellions, but who did back the government over Huawei this afternoon, says he thinks the government will have to include a firm deadline for the exclusion of Huawei from 5G when it introduces its telecommunications security bill later this year. |
| As City AM’s Cat Neilan points out, the result means that, if another 12 Tory MPs were to change sides, then Boris Johnson would see his majority disappear completely. | As City AM’s Cat Neilan points out, the result means that, if another 12 Tory MPs were to change sides, then Boris Johnson would see his majority disappear completely. |