Theresa May condemns her own party whips after senior Tory ignores Commons rule during key Brexit bill
Brandon Lewis said he would not vote so Lib Dem Jo Swinson could stay at home with her baby - but he did vote, helping May avoid defeat on customs plans
THERESA MAY condemned her own party whips yesterday after a senior Tory shattered Commons convention during a key Brexit Bill.
The PM issued a full apology for Tory party chair Brandon Lewis breaking a so-called “pairing agreement” to take part in two crunch votes on Wednesday evening.
Under the agreement, the Tory chair had agreed not to vote at all – so Lib Dem Jo Swinson could remain at home and look after her young baby.
But he ended up voting and helping Theresa May to avoid a humiliating defeat on Brexit customs plans.
Slammed by Labour’s Harriet Harman, the PM insisted it was “not good enough and it will not be repeated”.
“We take pairing very seriously and we recognise its value to Parliament”.
MOST READ IN POLITICS
The PM added the Government would consider calls for a proxy vote system so female MPs could vote from home when looking after a child.
Brandon Lewis had earlier insisted he was only guilty of an “honest mistake” made by the whips in “fast moving circumstances”.
But a furious Ms Swinson said the excuse was “not credible”.
And Labour yesterday demanded a full inquiry. A spokesman said that given Mr Lewis only took part in two of nine votes – the closest two - “it seems hard to take the explanation at face value”.
Lib Dem whip Alistair Carmichael said the problem was “symptomatic of a wider problem”. He said: “It is using a 19th century practice to provide for cover under 21st century employment law and that is no longer good enough.”