Tory chief whip facing calls to resign over claims he told Conservative MPs to ignore 'pairing' agreement - as it happened

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Harriet Harman calls for an end to pairing in Parliament, Theresa May responds 'The breaking of the pair was an error'

Julian Smith, the Tory chief whip, faced calls to resign over suggestions he intentionally ordered Tory MPs to defy "pairing" arrangements.

Some Conservative backbenchers joined Labour in saying he should quit if it is proved that the events that led to Brandon Lewis, the Tory chairman, breaking an agreement not to vote were intentional.

Meanwhile Dominic Raab travelled to Brussels for his first day of negotiations with the EU.

The new Brexit secretary took over from David Davis last week and has faced a difficult week as he attempts to win support for the government Brexit strategy agreed at Chequers.

One of the key sticking points in talks with Brussels is how the Northern Irish border will be managed, and Theresa May crossed the Irish Sea on Thursday to speak to residents and businesses working across the border. She was joined by Karen Bradley, the Northern Ireland secretary.

As it happened...

Key Points

Julian Smith facing calls to resign over Brexit vote 'whipping' scandal

[19 July 2018 10:31 · Kristin Hugo]

Sir Keir Starmer, Labour's shadow Brexit secretary, asks Dominic Raab about comments made by leading Brexiteer Steve Baker, who said 40 Tory MPs would be willing to vote down the government's plan.

Starmer asks how the government will get its plan through Parliament.

Raab says Starmer seems more interested "in doing the job of whipping this side than coming up with any serious, substantive proposals from his side".

Starmer gives it another crack, asking Raab "whether he personally is prepared to face down that threat".

The Brexit secretary says he is "not interested in the media circus or any of the drama" because he is "relentlessly and unflinchingly focused on narrowing the differences, accentuating the positives and getting a win-win deal good for this country and good for our European friends".

[19 July 2018 11:01 · Kristin Hugo]

Another Tory MP has confirmed they have sent a letter requesting a vote of no confidence in Theresa May. Philip Davies, a vocal Brexiteer, said he had lost faith in the prime minister's ability to deliver Brexit...

[19 July 2018 11:16 · Kristin Hugo]

[19 July 2018 11:19 · Kristin Hugo]

Julian Smith, the government's chief whip, is facing calls to resign after Tory chairman Brandon Lewis breached a long-standing convention by voting in Tuesday's crunch Brexit votes, despite having been "paired" with the Lib Dem's Jo Swinson, who has just had a baby. 

Smith, Lewis and Theresa May have insisted it was a genuine mistake, but The Times reported this morning that Smith had also told two other MPs to ignore pairing arrangements (they refused).

Labour said if that is true then the chief whip should resign. Dawn Butler, the shadow women and equalities minister, said:

"If these reports are correct, the Tory whips, Brandon Lewis and even the prime minister have been telling untruths about their shocking move against an MP on maternity leave.

Breaking a pairing arrangement was a desperate move by a collapsing government and makes politics even more inaccessible for women.

We need a full, honest explanation of what's gone on. If they can't do so, surely the chief whip and Conservative Party chair should resign."

[19 July 2018 11:32 · Kristin Hugo]

Theresa May has backed under pressure chief whip Julian Smith.

Asked if the prime minister stood by claims that the events that saw Brandon Lewis breach a pairing arrangement were an honest mistake, a No 10 spokesperson simply said: "Absolutely."

[19 July 2018 11:33 · Kristin Hugo]

[19 July 2018 11:47 · Kristin Hugo]

Concerns are being raised in the Commons about why Brandon Lewis voted in Tuesday's crunch Brexit votes despite having been "paired" with Lib Dem Jo Swinson, who is on maternity leave.

Tory MP Peter Bone says he was "very concerned" by the events, while Labour's Wes Streeting suggests that, if media reports are correct, "it was not a result of accident, it was a result of design". He says Commons leader, Andrea Leadsom, who is currently answering questions in the House, may have inadvertently misled Parliament by continuing to insist it was a mistake.

Leadsom is not happy with that. She says that claim is "abhorrent" and adds: "It is a deep regret to me that that breaking of the pair happened in error. I assured the House yesterday that it was an error that the chief whip and [Brandon Lewis] had both apologised for."

Leadsom says she was also paired on Tuesday and at no point was she asked to vote. The fact that Lewis did vote has been "copiously and profusely apologised for", she says, adding that Streeting "should be ashamed of himself".

[19 July 2018 11:58 · Kristin Hugo]

The Conservatives have just issued a statement on the Julian Smith row.

A spokesperson 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."

Interestingly, the statement includes no denial of claims that other MPs were asked to break their pairs. Reports suggest at least two refused to do so.

Pressure is definitely mounting on the chief whip...

[19 July 2018 12:09 · Kristin Hugo]

Home secretary Sajid Javid is getting some stick over this tweet, in which he told a Twitter user who was denying the Holocaust not to be "misled by Corbyn".

[19 July 2018 12:44 · Kristin Hugo]

Alistair Carmichael, the Lib Dem chief whip, has told MPs he remains unconvinced by Julian Smith's explanation for why pairing agreements were broken during Tuesday's Brexit votes.

Carmichael asked an urgent question in the Commons on the matter yesterday and later met with his Tory counterpart. 

He has just told the Commons: 

"In the course of that urgent question, I indicated that I had received an apology from the government chief whip, which of course I accepted - not that I did not quite understand how things had come to pass in this way. I indicated also that I would pursue that with the government chief whip.

I have to tell the House that, subsequent to the urgent question, I did meet with the government chief whip. He did offer me a fuller explanation, which I have considered very carefully overnight. Regrettably I have to say I still do not understand how this highly regrettable state of affairs came to pass."