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A Labour motion that would have forced a vote on a bill to ban fracking has been defeated amid farcical scenes in the House of Commons.

Politicians have claimed Conservative MPs were being “manhandled” and bullied into voting with the government to oppose a ban, counter to what their party manifesto said in 2019.

Conservative whips initially stated the vote on whether to allocate Commons time to consider legislation to stop shale gas extraction was being treated as a “confidence motion” in Liz Truss’s embattled government.

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But after a series of Tory MPs signalled they would not take part in the vote, climate minister Graham Stuart caused confusion by telling the Commons: “Quite clearly this is not a confidence vote.”

To add to the confusion, there had been suggestions that the government’s chief whip Wendy Morton had resigned, along with her deputy, Craig Whittaker.

But Number 10 later stated that both remained in their posts.

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Vote ends with rumours of resignation

Meanwhile the division list showed 40 Conservative MPs did not take part in the fracking vote at all – including Prime Minister Liz Truss.

It is not clear why the PM did not vote.

No votes were recorded for several senior Tories including Boris Johnson, Nadine Dorries, David Davis, Greg Clark, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Kwasi Kwarteng, Theresa May, Wendy Morton, Alok Sharma, Priti Patel and Ben Wallace.

This is despite a three-line whip and all Tories being told they must vote in favour of the government.

Speaking to Sky News, Jacob Rees-Mogg, the business secretary, played down allegations made by Labour MP Chris Bryant that some Conservative MPs shouted at and “manhandled” others in the voting lobbies to get them to vote with the government.

He said he did not see any bullying or physical contact “beyond a female affectionately patting someone on the back” – though “one member used an expletive”.

And he suggested that a junior official in Downing Street “erroneously” said Labour’s fracking motion was no longer a confidence vote – leading to it subsequently being said by Mr Stuart in the Commons.

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Chris Bryant says Tory MP ‘manhandled’ into ‘no’ lobby

Describing the chaotic scenes, Mr Bryant told Sky News that one Conservative MP, Alexander Stafford, was “manhandled” and “bullied”.

He said: “There was a bunch of Conservative members who were completely uncertain about whether they were allowed to vote with the Labour motion because of what had been said in the chamber about whether it’s a free vote or a confidence vote.

“There was a group – including several cabinet ministers – who were basically shouting at them. At least one member was physically pulled through the door into the voting lobby.”

‘I have never seen anything like it’

He claimed Jacob Rees-Mogg and Theresa Coffey, the deputy prime minister, were among the group that “moved forward with that one member” into the voting lobby.

Mr Bryant said the behaviour seen in the lobby tonight was “completely out of order” and he had “never seen anything like that”.

He said he took a photo of the moment, which he will be handing to the chief whip as evidence.

“What is not fine is shouting in the division lobby, aggressing pointing and physical pushing,” he said.

A source close to deputy PM Therese Coffey has told Sky News she has “not manhandled anybody”.

Responding to the claims, Mr Stafford also tweeted: “Lots of rumours flying around tonight.

“This vote was never about fracking but about Labour trying to destabilise the country, and take control of parliament.

“I had a frank and robust conversation outside the voting lobbies confirming my opposition to fracking with members of the government, nothing more, reconfirming my position which I spoke about in the chamber this evening.”

‘Tories in open warfare’

Several MPs claimed to have witnessed chaotic scenes ahead of the vote.

Labour frontbencher Ian Murray said: “I’ve never seen scenes like it at the entrance to a voting lobby. Tories on open warfare. Jostling and Rees Mogg shouting at his colleagues. Whips screaming at Tories. They are done and should call a general election. Two Tory whips dragging people in. Shocking.”

Fellow Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle added: “Just seen Tory whips manhandling a crying Tory MP into their lobby for fracking. You couldn’t make this toxic stuff up, nasty to see the Tories at work, if this is how they treat their MPs spare a thought for the country.”

And Jess Philips said: “Massive Tory row going on in the lobby, literally trying to force people through. Lots of anger.”

230 MPs voted in favour of the motion, while 326 were against it, a government majority of 96.

Ahead of the Commons showdown, many Conservative MPs expressed disquiet about Ms Truss’s plan to return to fracking where there is “local consent”.

Chris Skidmore, the MP and governmental net-zero tsar, said he would not be voting with the government and was “prepared to face the consequences of my decision”.

A moratorium on fracking was imposed in 2019 after a series of tremors, and the Tory manifesto that year said they would not support it “unless the science shows categorically that it can be done safely”.

A government-commissioned report by the British Geological Survey (BGS) at the time suggested more data was needed, but despite the lack of scientific progress, Ms Truss’s administration has torn up the commitment.

‘No way back for Conservative party’

The dramatic scenes come as Ms Truss fights for her political survival following the sacking of chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng last Friday and the axing of the majority of the government’s mini-budget on Monday by new chancellor Jeremy Hunt.

The turmoil continued on Wednesday as the now former home secretary Suella Braverman announced her shock resignation and took aim at the PM in her departure letter.

Conservative MP Sir Charles Walker, who has already called for Ms Truss to go, said he fears there is no way back for the parliamentary party after events of recent weeks.

He hit out at the “talentless people” who “put Liz Truss in No 10”, adding: “I hope it was worth it.

“I hope it was worth it for the ministerial red box, I hope it was worth it to sit around the cabinet table.”

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A year after I was surrounded in Birmingham, have community rifts healed?

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A year after I was surrounded in Birmingham, have community rifts healed?

As riots broke out across the country last summer following the Southport attack, fear spread in a majority Muslim part of Birmingham that far-right protesters were on their way.

Locals came out on to the streets, and as I was reporting live on air, I was surrounded by a small group of masked men, swearing and gesturing to the camera.

Afterwards, as we were trying to drive away from the area, a man with a knife followed us and attempted to slash a tyre on our broadcast van.

Protesters showed up after word had spread among the muslim community in Birmingham that the far right were planning a protest in the city.
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The moment Becky Johnson was confronted on camera last summer

A year on, I have returned to the area to discuss what happened with some of those who saw their city descend into chaos.

“The local community had lost faith in the local elected members as well as the local policing units,” says Naeem Yousef, 48, who lives nearby. 

“They thought…the only way to protect themselves and the community was by coming out in force.”

Becky Johnson Birmingham anniversary

‘You can’t control their behaviour’

Tanveer Choudhry, 56, agrees. “In every community we have our sort of, shall we call them… idiots, and you can’t control their behaviour,” he says. 

“I think there was a concern that the far-right group that was coming may well be armed… so I think it was just trying to counteract what they thought was coming.”

We are sitting in a cafe, not far from where the unrest broke out last summer.

still from Johnson VT
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Masked men surrounded the Sky team during the unrest

‘They were looking for who they thought were the enemy’

The group I’m with were invited by community activist Naveed Sadiq, who was there that day.

As well as Naveed, there are three other local Muslim men, and two white residents, including Gerry Moynihan.

He recalls deciding to stay at home that day.

“They were looking for what they thought were the enemy – white people – and trying to find white people,” he says.

“Which is why I stayed in my house, because the intelligence I had was, don’t get involved, don’t walk around, and you know, it will pass.”

I ask the group if my team and I were targeted because we were white.

Becky Johnson Birmingham anniversary
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Gerry Moynihan says he decided not to leave his home

“It’s not because you’re white, it’s because they’re actually bored,” Naveed says. “They were wanting a bit of excitement.”

I ask if they think it would have happened if we were all British Asian.

“Of course,” Tanveer replies. “It wasn’t the fact that you were white… it was just the heat of the moment”.

Naeem believes it happened simply because the men involved “do not want anyone filming what they’re doing”.  

“You could have been Asian… they would still try to get you out of the area,” he insists.

Becky Johnson Birmingham anniversary
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Tanveer believes our team would still have been targeted if we were a different ethnicity

‘Are we going to be accepted?’

I’m keen to understand how these men feel now and whether the sentiment that brought people out on to the streets to “protect” them has been reignited by the recent protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers.

The answer, from Joe Khann, a local Muslim man, would surprise many.

“I would like to go and join them,” he says, referring to the anti-immigration protesters who have gathered several times in Epping. 

“We have this problem within our own communities, and people don’t talk about it. We feel exactly the same and we understand how the English feel with the immigration,” he explains.

still from Johnson VT on Birmingham unrest
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‘We feel exactly the same’ on immigration, says Joe Khann

“We’re having people who are getting married back home, they get married for six months, get divorced…and the government gives them all their help to get accommodation, their national insurance numbers and all that,” he says.

“We’re getting fed up within our own community because we hear this constantly.”

However, he thinks if he did try to join in protests, people would “think I’m an immigrant”.

He says he is “born here, 58, and they look at me as a foreigner or a migrant”.

Naeem agrees. “The question is for us now, as people who are born and bred in this country, what is our identity? Who are we?” he asks. 

“As a white person born in this country, you are automatically accepted. Are we going to be accepted? How many generations will it take for us to be accepted?”

Becky Johnson Birmingham anniversary
Image:
Naeem (left) says even those born in the UK question their identity

‘You have to blame someone’

Naeem is also concerned about immigration.

“We have an influx of people that we do not know about, and they have no loyalty to the area,” he says.

“I believe that the average white guy… isn’t racist, they’re just fed up,” adds Naveed. 

However, these men do have grievances, particularly with the media.

“We feel that we have a two-tier journalists system where when the colour is like mine we get different justice and when the colour is a bit paler it’s different,” Naveed says.

still from Johnson VT on Birmingham unrest
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‘When the colour is like mine we get different justice,’ says Naveed (left)

‘We have become the bogeyman’

“When there’s criminality, and it’s on the news, a Muslim has to be identified by his religion,” Naeem says. 

He believes Muslims have become the “bogeyman” in many people’s minds.

“Where you don’t have housing for example, where the crime has increased, you have to blame someone,” he says.

“Prior it was the Irish community, now it’s the Muslim community.

“It’s a distraction from the actual real issues and how you can resolve them but let’s just put it on to the Muslim community for now, let’s just distract the whole nation and say look it’s the problem with asylum, it’s a problem with Muslims,” he says.

After leaving, I head over to the spot on the roundabout where my team were targeted last year.

As I stand there, my colleague sees a man imitating pulling the trigger of a gun at me from his car.

This is Britain, in broad daylight. 

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UK-France migrant returns deal comes into force

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UK-France migrant returns deal comes into force

Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron’s migrant deal comes into force today, with detentions set to begin by the end of the week.

The “one in, one out” pilot scheme – which allows the UK to send some people who have crossed the Channel back to France in exchange for asylum seekers with ties to Britain – was signed last week, and has now been approved by the European Commission.

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It comes as 2025 is on course to be a record year for crossings.

Approximately 25,436 people have already made the journey this year, according to PA news agency analysis of Home Office figures – 49% higher than at the same point in 2024.

The prime minister and the French president hailed the deal as a “good agreement” when it was first announced during the latter’s visit to the UK last month.

The scheme also means that anyone arriving in a small boat can be detained immediately, with space set aside at immigration removal centres in anticipation of their arrival.

Sir Keir said the ratification of the treaty will “send a clear message – if you come here illegally on a small boat you will face being sent back to France”.

Ministers have so far declined to say how many people could be returned under the deal, however, there have been reports that under the scheme only 50 people a week will be returned to France.

Analysis: Deal will need to go much further to work

Sky News political correspondent Rob Powell said while it was a “policy win” for the government, the numbers must eventually “go a lot higher” than 50 per week if it is to work as a deterrent.

“The average crossing rate is about 800 a week, so this will need to go up by a sizeable factor for that message to start seeping through to people trying to make that crossing,” Powell added.

The aim will be to make asylum seekers believe the “risk of going back to France is so big that they shouldn’t bother parting with their cash and paying smugglers” to make the crossing.

Read more:
What is the UK-France migrant returns deal?
Clampdown on social media ads for Channel crossings unveiled

Migrants in Dunkirk, France, preparing to cross the English Channel
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Migrants in Dunkirk, France, preparing to cross the English Channel.

The Conservatives have branded the agreement a “surrender deal” and said it will make “no difference whatsoever”.

Under the terms of the agreement, adults arriving on small boats will face being returned to France if their asylum claim is inadmissible.

In exchange, the same number of people will be able to come to the UK on a new legal route, provided they have not attempted a crossing before and subject to stringent documentation and security checks.

The pilot scheme is set to run until June 2026, pending a longer-term agreement.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper will face questions on the agreement on Sky News Breakfast this morning.

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Police warn of mass arrests if Palestine Action protest goes ahead

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Police warn of mass arrests if Palestine Action protest goes ahead

Police are warning of mass arrests if a protest in support of the banned group Palestine Action goes ahead on Saturday.

Hundreds of people are expected to turn out for the demonstration, which is understood to be planned for London.

However, the Metropolitan Police said “anyone showing support for the group can expect to be arrested.”

“We are aware that the organisers of Saturday’s planned protest are encouraging hundreds of people to turn out with the intention of placing a strain on the police and the wider criminal justice system,” said a spokesperson.

The organisers, a pressure group called Defend Our Juries, denied their protest will try to overwhelm the police and justice system.

“If we are allowed to protest peacefully and freely, then that is no bother to anyone,” said the group in a statement.

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What’s happening to Palestine Action?

Palestine Action was banned under terrorism laws after two aircraft were damaged at RAF Brize Norton on 20 June.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the vandalism of the planes was “disgraceful” and accused the group of a “long history of unacceptable criminal damage”.

The ban means membership of, or support for, Palestine Action is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

More than 200 people supporting the group were arrested at Defend Our Juries protests across the UK last month, many of whom held placards with the message: “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.”

Downing Street has urged people not to attend this weekend’s protest.

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Monday's protesters waved flags and banged pan lids
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Monday’s protesters waved flags and banged pan lids

It comes after around 40 people gathered outside Labour HQ on Monday to protest the party’s stance on Gaza.

They were watched by a small group of police officers as they chanted phrases including: “Shame on Keir Starmer, shame on the Labour Party, shame on David Lammy.”

Separately, the Board of Deputies of British Jews has also confirmed it will protest this weekend, with community organisations marching through central London to Downing Street on Sunday.

They are calling for the government not to recognise the state of Palestine without all hostages taken by Hamas being released.

Last week, Sir Keir Starmer said he planned to recognise Palestine by the UN General Assembly meeting in September, unless Israel met certain conditions including agreeing a ceasefire and improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

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