How West Sussex MPs voted in chaotic fracking motion

MPs across West Sussex seemed to side with the Prime Minister, Liz Truss, in the vote last night.

Labour’s motion to secure Commons time to consider legislation to ban fracking was defeated by 230 votes to 326, a majority of 96.

Reports suggest it was a chaotic night for many in the Commons, with “very strong rumours” the Government chief whip Wendy Morton had resigned.

Confusion amongst Conservative MPs led to ugly scenes at Westminster, with Cabinet ministers Therese Coffey and Jacob Rees-Mogg among a group of senior Tories accused of pressuring colleagues to go into the “no” lobby, with Labour former minister Chris Bryant saying some MPs were “physically manhandled into another lobby and being bullied”.

The numbers announced in the chamber did not match the numbers on the division list released by the Commons authorities.

The list released after the Commons vote contained 228 names in the ayes and 319 names in the noes. It may be updated further by parliamentary officials to include any missing names to ensure the numbers match the ones announced in the chamber, or it could be a counting error by the whips.

The division list showed 36 Conservative MPs did not take part in the fracking vote, although this does not automatically equate to an abstention – but in many cases will be.

Amongst those who did not take part in the vote was Gillian Keegan, MP for Chichester.

However, all other MPs from across West Sussex voted against the motion.

These include Andrew Griffith (Arundel and South Downs), Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis and Littlehampton), Jeremy Quin (Horsham), Peter Bottomley (Worthing West), Tim Loughton (East Worthing and Shoreham) and Mims Davies (Mid Sussex).

Tim Loughton said he opposes fracking but cannot support Labour’s “party political” motion.

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