Call for vote on inquiry into claims Starmer lied over Mandelson dismissed by Labour grandees – UK politics live | Politics

Good morning. Kemi Badenoch is trying to get speaker Lindsay Hoyle to vote for MPs on a proposal that would have the House of Commons privileges committee investigate allegations that Keir Starmer lied to MPs in his comments to MPs about the Peter Mandelson vetting. Other opposition parties may be supporting it, but we don’t know for sure as the process is relatively secretive; MPs should write a personal letter to the speakerHe will then decide whether this is a serious request that must be decided by the House of Commons as a whole, or whether it is to be decided by a group. meaningless complaint This should be ignored. (We know Karl Turner also wrote to the speaker about this, but that’s only because he was stupid enough to post his letter on social media last week.) We’re likely to find out today whether Hoyle accepts the House of Commons vote.

Boris Johnson was referred to the privileges committee over allegations he lied to MPs about Partygate (the committee concluded the allegations were justified). Badenoch wants to prove Starmer is as dishonest as Johnson. It certainly isn’t, and claims that Starmer lied to MPs about Mandelson are bogus; these concern contested interpretations of the kind of political language common in parliamentary debates. But it’s a big win for the Conservatives that this has become a lively assessment of the speaker.

If Hoyle consents to a debate, which is likely to take place tomorrow, Badenoch will decide whether to accept the referral motion. If Labor MPs vote against an investigation, he can accuse them of a cover-up. If MPs approve an inquiry (because Labor decides not to use its majority to block the motion) then Starmer faces the ignominy of being in the same category as Johnson (at least until an inquiry clears him).

So the best option for No.10 is for Hoyle to not allow the vote in the first place. And this perhaps explains why some Labor elders have condemned the call for an inquiry.

Alan Johnson And David BlunkettTrump, both former secretaries of the interior, issued a joint statement to the Times calling the proposals for a privilege committee investigation a “naked political stunt.” They say:

Fact is that Kemi Badenoch He changed his accusations against the Prime Minister almost daily as the failure of his claims to stand up to scrutiny showed what this was really about. This is a purely political show with no substance May elections.

Any comparison with Boris Johnson is absurd. When Parliament referred the matter to the privileges committee, the police investigation directly refuted his categorical statements that he knew nothing about the breach of lockdown rules.

And this morning on the Today show, Emily ThornberryThe Labor chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee also rejected the proposal. When asked whether such an investigation was necessary, he stated that his committee had already examined this issue and that the government was about to release more documents regarding the appointment. He said:

I guess our voters might ask [if a privileges committee goes ahead]Perhaps we have struck the right balance between holding the government to account and seemingly fighting among ourselves, when parliament also has so much to focus on?

When asked if he had said ‘not yet’ regarding the privilege committee investigation, Thornberry replied:

I must say, this is really the right attitude. Why the rush right now? Does it have anything to do with local elections?

Here is the agenda of the day.

9am: Reform UK is organizing what it calls a “national fuel protest”, calling for action in Whitehall to reduce oil prices. (There appear to be no plans to protest outside the US embassy.)

10.30: SNP leader and Scottish first minister John Swinney talks about his priorities for the SNP’s first 100 days if they win the Holyrood election. At a separate event, Scottish Labor Party leader Anas Sarwar launches his party’s manifesto for women.

Morning: Keir Starmer gives a speech about burglary in north-west England.

Morning: Kemi Badenoch visits Essex.

11.30: A lobby briefing is being held in Downing Street.

Lunch time: Green Party leader Zack Polanski is highlighting the Greens’ plans to bring bus services under public control.

14.30: If Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle allows a vote on sending Keir Starmer to the privileges committee, she is likely to tell MPs as Commons business gets underway.

14.30: Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden answers questions in the House of Commons.

After 3pm: As the ‘ping pong’ process in Parliament continues, peers are debating the crime and policing bill, child welfare and schools bill.

After 15.30: MPs are debating the British commitment and community empowerment bill and the pension scheme bill as part of the ‘ping pong process’. They can then vote on Lord’s amendments to the crime bill and child welfare bill.

Afternoon: MPs voted to move two bills to the next session: the Northern Ireland Troubles bill and the public office (liability) bill (aka the Hillsborough bill).

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