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MPs voting on investigation into Jeremy Hunt's BSkyB role Coalition to split in vote over Jeremy Hunt's future
(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. Liberal Democrat MPs are set to abstain in a parliamentary vote over the future of Conservative Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
Labour is pressing for No 10's adviser on ministers' interests to examine the culture secretary's conduct. Labour wants an inquiry into whether Mr Hunt broke the ministerial code in his handling of News Corp's bid for BSkyB.
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has told his MPs to "stay away" from the vote. But Nick Clegg has told his Lib Dem 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 in the party are angry that David Cameron backed Mr Hunt minutes after he told the Leveson Inquiry he had acted impartially over the takeover bid.
The culture secretary will be defending himself when he speaks for the government during the debate, while Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman will represent the opposition. Mr Clegg, who is Deputy Prime Minister and Lib Dem leader, has reportedly complained that he was not consulted before the prime minister made the decision.
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. But Tory MPs are accusing the Lib Dems of undermining coalition unity, with one of them, Louise Mensch, saying they were "being silly".
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. The party's deputy chairman, Michael Fallon, called the decision "slightly disappointing".
'Different perspective' 'Nobody's interested'
The prime minister gave his backing to Mr Hunt just minutes after the culture secretary gave evidence to the Leveson Inquiry on press standards. Mr Hunt will defend himself when he responds for the government during the debate, while Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman is expected to repeat calls for him to resign.
Even if all 57 Lib Dems abstain, the motion is likely to fail, as Tory MPs outnumber those on the Labour benches and from other parties.
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. Mr Hunt has been accused of having too close a relationship with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp before and during the BSkyB takeover process, in which he was given a "quasi-judicial" role.
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. Labour is demanding an investigation into whether he breached the ministerial code by failing to give "accurate and truthful information to Parliament" over his contacts during the bid process and by failing to "take responsibility" for his special adviser, Adam Smith.
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. 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.
One source said Mr Cameron told Mr Clegg that "nobody's interested" in the Leveson Inquiry. 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 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. BBC News Channel chief political correspondent Norman Smith said Mr Clegg had privately urged Mr Cameron a number of times to refer Mr Hunt to the independent adviser on ministerial standards.
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... It's a reminder that we have a different perspective on things." But one source said Mr Cameron had told Mr Clegg that "nobody's interested" in the Leveson Inquiry.
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". Sources have described relations between the prime minister and his deputy as "terse" and "bumpy" but have dismissed suggestions that the issue marks a serious rift within the coalition.
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. 'Big things'
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. Discussing the abstention, Mr Fallon said: "What the Liberal Democrats are doing today is slightly disappointing, but it's understandable."
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. He told Sky News the party's MPs wanted "to make it clear that they were not really involved" in attempts to court the Murdoch press, while Labour had "sucked up for years" in an effort to gain support.
Lib Dem MP Don Foster said there were clear reasons why his colleagues would not be supporting Mr Hunt. The BBC understands a number of Lib Dem MPs had wanted to vote with Labour and against Mr Hunt, but Mr Clegg argued this would put them in an impossible position with their Conservative coalition partners and recommended they abstain instead.
"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. Lib Dem MP Don Foster said: "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. Mr Clegg is giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry ahead of the parliamentary debate and Mr Cameron will be cross-examined over his handling of 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. News Corp dropped its bid to take full control of BSkyB last year, following the revelations of phone hacking at its News of the World newspaper, which was closed down following the scandal.