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The government has dropped its attempt to delay a vote on whether the prime minister should face a probe into claims that he misled Parliament.
Tory MPs will no longer be whipped to block an investigation by the privileges committee into Boris Johnson’s statements about the affair in the House of Commons.
Labour has tabled a motion to refer Mr Johnson to the committee over the PM’s initial claims that no lockdown rules had been broken.
Politics live: Surprise U-turn ahead of debate on partygate inquiry
Conservative MPs had been told to support an amendment delaying a vote on such a motion until after separate investigations by the police and civil servant Sue Gray.
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi, speaking to Sky News predicted that Tory colleagues would support the move, describing it as “the right thing to do”.
But Conservative members have now been told they will have a free vote – and the amendment has been dropped.
Labour said it was “humiliating” for the Conservatives.
Earlier, the prime minister – speaking on a visit to India – urged MPs to wait until they have “the full facts” and for investigators to “do their stuff and then knock this thing on the head”.
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