Lurking in front of the House of Commons lobby on Wednesday night, the government’s new chief whip stood clutching its phone, devising and rewriting a single sentence, hoping to save the prime minister the inconvenience of being investigated for allegedly misleading parliament .
Chris Heaton-Harris quietly tackled the text of an amendment aimed at thwarting Labor’s proposal to launch an investigation by the Municipal Privileges Committee into whether Johnson lied about violating Downing Street rules.
With a majority of 80, persuading Tory MPs to simply vote against the proposal should not be a difficult task. But given the erosion of trust between the front and back benches after months of dirty scandals, a frantic party management exercise has begun.
When Labor’s proposal was dropped earlier in the day, the Tories were surprised by his cunning, as the investigation would not be launched until Scotland Yard’s own investigation was over, giving Conservative MPs little reason to disapprove. “They’re obviously on the ball,” said a Tory MP.
Wips spent the afternoon rushing between his offices and meeting with potentially problematic conservatives who were considering supporting the proposal. Heaton-Harris held personal meetings with famous rebels Mark Harper and Tom Tugendhat.
Meanwhile, the merry strategists of the opposition party’s campaign simulated advertisements that would be used to target those Tories who voted to save Johnson from further control. The Liberal Democrats had already compiled a leaflet with a picture of Johnson that read, “He lied and broke the law … but the Conservative MP in our area dropped him off the hook!”
In the afternoon, Tory MPs began to privately admit that they had exhausted their apologies for rejecting the investigation. They urged the Prime Minister to stand on his own two feet, avoid the inevitable and turn to the Privileges Committee. But they were blocked by №10.
Normal communication lines between the government and the opposition whips’ office have stalled. “They went into bunker mode,” an insider said.
Members of the Privileges Committee saw their inboxes as a bubble of emails from members of the public urging them to relentlessly review Johnson’s alleged lies in parliament.
As the government ran out of opportunities, Labor figures felt triumphant. Then, less than an hour before the deadline for the amendment, before Commons closed the day, ministers pulled their rabbits out of their hats. They proposed postponing the decision to open an investigation until the publication of Partygate’s final report by senior government official Sue Gray, kicking the box further down the road.
Tory MPs, who were preparing to support or abstain from Labor’s offer to help pass it, were quietly impressed that the government had managed to come up with something that seemed an impressive “diversion”. As they left parliament bars on Wednesday night, many felt ready – and happy – to vote.
But the next morning, many Tory MPs realized they would be seen by the public for supporting a destructive amendment. Fearing a return to the cover-up allegations that have plagued the government for months over the Owen Patterson affair, lawmakers have stepped up the heat and the number of those threatening to revolt dangerously close to the majority in the government.
The next change in government position was missed by Johnson himself when he spoke on his second visit of the day during a trip to India. “The House of Commons can do whatever it wants,” he said, almost confirming that the three-line whip would be transferred to free voting.
Heaton-Harris himself relayed the news to the minister on whose behalf the amendment was made, Mark Spencer, the leader of the municipalities. After lobbying by Conservative MP Charles Walker, Spencer confirmed the unthinkable – that the amendment on which the government has pinned all its hopes will be dropped and MPs will have the right to vote with their conscience.
The revelation came during a relatively under-attended Commons business affairs session, and the shock echoed slowly in the building. An MP said that the employees broke into their office to tell them the news.
The accusation game followed quickly. Many Tories have complained that they have been consulted on their views on Labor’s proposal, but not on the government’s amendment, which means that party whips are deaf to criticism of it.
“It’s an open mic night at Dog and Duck and we’re looking for everyone with a bit of party management skills,” the former cabinet minister smiled as they left the room.
Another MP joked that the rejection of the amendment “demonstrates a lack of discipline in the party, which speaks volumes”.
The day ended – in the words of a Conservative MP – with a “huge anti-climax”. Some chose to stay to watch the labor movement go by. But most retired wearily home early, ready to face the wrath of their constituents.
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