News

Barnet MPs back government on fracking vote

Conservatives Theresa Villiers, Mike Freer and Matthew Offord all voted against the Labour motion
By Will Grimond, Data Reporter

The Labour motion that would have forced a vote on a bill to ban fracking
The Labour motion that would have forced a vote on a bill to ban fracking

Barnet’s three Conservative MPs all voted against a Labour motion that would have forced a vote on a bill to ban fracking, to help defeat it in the House of Commons yesterday.

The day was marked by chaos in Westminster, with Suella Braverman replaced as home secretary by Grant Shapps.

This was followed by a vote on fracking, seen by many as a ‘confidence vote’ in prime minister Liz Truss, who went on to resign today.

There were reports of manhandling and bullying in the voting lobby, although these have been denied by government ministers.

Chipping Barnet MP Theresa Villiers, Finchley and Golders Green MP Mike Freer and Hendon MP Matthew Offord all voted against the motion, alongside the vast majority of their Conservative colleagues, as it was defeated 326-230.

Voting against the motion were 322 Tory MPs and two DUP MPs .

Meanwhile, 167 Labour MPs, 33 SNP MPs, seven Independent MPs, 14 Lib Dem MPs, two SDLP MPs, one Alliance MP, three Plaid Cymru MPs, one Green Party MP and one Alba Party MP voted for it.

There were also 82 who abstained or did not vote – 27 Labour MPs, 31 Tory MPs, 11 SNP MPs, six Independent MPs, six DUP MPs and one Alba Party MP.

The vote counts do not include the four MPs who acted as tellers, the seven Sinn Féin MPs who do not take their seats, the speaker or the three deputy speakers.

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