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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| MPs voting on investigation into Jeremy Hunt's BSkyB role | MPs voting on investigation into Jeremy Hunt's BSkyB role |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| MPs are set to vote on a Labour bid to have Jeremy Hunt investigated over his handling of News Corp's BSkyB bid, with Lib Dems expected to abstain. | MPs are set to vote on a Labour bid to have Jeremy Hunt investigated over his handling of News Corp's BSkyB bid, with Lib Dems expected to abstain. |
| Labour is pressing for No 10's adviser on ministers' interests to examine the culture secretary's conduct. | Labour is pressing for No 10's adviser on ministers' interests to examine the culture secretary's conduct. |
| Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has told his MPs to "stay away" from the vote. | Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has told his MPs to "stay away" from the vote. |
| Many of them are understood to be angry at how quickly David Cameron backed Mr Hunt after he told the Leveson Inquiry he had acted impartially over the bid. | Many of them are understood to be angry at how quickly David Cameron backed Mr Hunt after he told the Leveson Inquiry he had acted impartially over the bid. |
| Labour is demanding an investigation into whether Mr Hunt breached the ministerial code by failing to give "accurate and truthful information to Parliament" over his contacts with News Corp during the bid process and by failing to "take responsibility" for his special adviser Adam Smith. | Labour is demanding an investigation into whether Mr Hunt breached the ministerial code by failing to give "accurate and truthful information to Parliament" over his contacts with News Corp during the bid process and by failing to "take responsibility" for his special adviser Adam Smith. |
| Mr Smith resigned after admitting the number and tone of messages he exchanged with News Corp lobbyist Frederic Michel about the Sky bid had been inappropriate. | Mr Smith resigned after admitting the number and tone of messages he exchanged with News Corp lobbyist Frederic Michel about the Sky bid had been inappropriate. |
| 'Different perspective' | |
| The prime minister gave his backing to Mr Hunt just minutes after the culture secretary gave evidence to the Leveson Inquiry on press standards. | The prime minister gave his backing to Mr Hunt just minutes after the culture secretary gave evidence to the Leveson Inquiry on press standards. |
| They cheered, they thumped the tables, then they decided to leave Jeremy Hunt to fend for himself. | They cheered, they thumped the tables, then they decided to leave Jeremy Hunt to fend for himself. |
| The meeting of the Liberal Democrats in committee room 11 ended with "unanimous" agreement, I am told, that MPs from the coalition's junior partner should "stay away" from Wednesday's vote. | The meeting of the Liberal Democrats in committee room 11 ended with "unanimous" agreement, I am told, that MPs from the coalition's junior partner should "stay away" from Wednesday's vote. |
| Nick Clegg's lot are angry about the speed at which David Cameron cleared his culture secretary of any wrong doing, within hours of his Leveson appearance last month. | Nick Clegg's lot are angry about the speed at which David Cameron cleared his culture secretary of any wrong doing, within hours of his Leveson appearance last month. |
| The deputy prime minister wasn't consulted beforehand. | The deputy prime minister wasn't consulted beforehand. |
| They believe there are still questions to answer. They believe it should have been a coalition issue. | They believe there are still questions to answer. They believe it should have been a coalition issue. |
| "You can't act with impunity" on this, one Lib Dem said to me. | "You can't act with impunity" on this, one Lib Dem said to me. |
| So they are reminding their Tory partners that this is a government of two. | So they are reminding their Tory partners that this is a government of two. |
| Contrast that with the message from Conservative high command that this is about party politics, not coalition politics. | Contrast that with the message from Conservative high command that this is about party politics, not coalition politics. |
| The problem for the Cabinet minister arguing that case is that everything comes down to coalition politics. | The problem for the Cabinet minister arguing that case is that everything comes down to coalition politics. |
| The BBC's chief political correspondent Norman Smith said Mr Clegg had privately urged Mr Cameron a number of times over recent weeks to refer Mr Hunt to the independent advisor on ministerial standards. | The BBC's chief political correspondent Norman Smith said Mr Clegg had privately urged Mr Cameron a number of times over recent weeks to refer Mr Hunt to the independent advisor on ministerial standards. |
| It is understood he warned Mr Cameron before Mr Hunt appeared at the Leveson Inquiry that he believed an inquiry should be launched into the culture secretary's conduct. | It is understood he warned Mr Cameron before Mr Hunt appeared at the Leveson Inquiry that he believed an inquiry should be launched into the culture secretary's conduct. |
| Sources have described relations between Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg as "terse" and "bumpy" but have dismissed suggestions that the issue marks a serious rift within the coalition. | Sources have described relations between Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg as "terse" and "bumpy" but have dismissed suggestions that the issue marks a serious rift within the coalition. |
| One source said Mr Cameron told Mr Clegg that "nobody's interested" in the Leveson Inquiry. | One source said Mr Cameron told Mr Clegg that "nobody's interested" in the Leveson Inquiry. |
| The Lib Dem leader and deputy prime minister has told his MPs not to support the Conservatives but, even if all 57 Lib Dem MPs withhold their support by abstaining, the vote is still likely to go the government's way. | The Lib Dem leader and deputy prime minister has told his MPs not to support the Conservatives but, even if all 57 Lib Dem MPs withhold their support by abstaining, the vote is still likely to go the government's way. |
| Conservative housing minister Grant Shapps told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It's a reminder that this is two parties who came together in the national interest to sort out these huge debt problems... tt's a reminder that we have a different perspective on things." | |
| He added that the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats were united on the "really big things" and that it was "important to have this coalition government". | |
| BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the Lib Dem abstention would cause significant tension within the coalition and was an implicit criticism of Mr Cameron's judgement on Mr Hunt's future. | |
| The BBC understands a number of Lib Dem MPs had wanted to vote with Labour and against Mr Hunt but that Mr Clegg argued this would put them in an impossible position with their Conservative coalition partners and recommended they abstain instead. | The BBC understands a number of Lib Dem MPs had wanted to vote with Labour and against Mr Hunt but that Mr Clegg argued this would put them in an impossible position with their Conservative coalition partners and recommended they abstain instead. |
| It will be only the second time that Lib Dem MPs have not voted with their Conservative partners on an opposition motion since the coalition was formed. | It will be only the second time that Lib Dem MPs have not voted with their Conservative partners on an opposition motion since the coalition was formed. |
| Lib Dem MP Don Foster said there were clear reasons why his colleagues would not be supporting Mr Hunt. | Lib Dem MP Don Foster said there were clear reasons why his colleagues would not be supporting Mr Hunt. |
| "Nick Clegg was absolutely clear from the outset that if, after Jeremy Hunt's appearance at Leveson, questions still remain, they need to be properly addressed. | "Nick Clegg was absolutely clear from the outset that if, after Jeremy Hunt's appearance at Leveson, questions still remain, they need to be properly addressed. |
| "He wasn't consulted by the prime minister on his decision not to refer Jeremy Hunt to the independent advisor and therefore he cannot condone that decision." | "He wasn't consulted by the prime minister on his decision not to refer Jeremy Hunt to the independent advisor and therefore he cannot condone that decision." |
| Hours before Wednesday's debate, Mr Clegg will be giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry at which he is expected to assert his party's independence from the Murdochs. | Hours before Wednesday's debate, Mr Clegg will be giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry at which he is expected to assert his party's independence from the Murdochs. |
| David Cameron will himself be cross-examined about how he handled the BSkyB bid and allegations against Mr Hunt on Thursday. | David Cameron will himself be cross-examined about how he handled the BSkyB bid and allegations against Mr Hunt on Thursday. |