UK politics LIVE: Government ditches delay to vote over partygate after revolt

Keir Starmer: All MPs must vote for this motion

Continuing his speech, Sir Keir says many people have suffered tragedy during the pandemic and that is why MPs must pass this motion.

He then gives way to a point of order, where an MP calls for the debate to be “toned down”.

Keir Starmer opens debate

Speaking in the Commons, Sir Keir said the motion is not just a “Labour principle” but a British one.

He disagrees with Conservative MP, John Baron who called for the Prime Minister to be judged when all the facts have been provided.

Keir Starmer retracts PMQs comment

Ahead of the vote on Wednesday afternoon, the Labour leader said he will retract a comment he made regarding the Prime Minister and the BBC.

During Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Sir Keir claimed Mr Johnson told MPs, the BBC had been too lenient on Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

On Thursday, he withdrew the statement.

Shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire attacks response to Labour motion

She told the Commons that “revelations of the Prime Minister’s actions” are a “betrayal”.

“We in the Labour Party cannot stand by because we know that this shambles is not good enough.

“Our cross-party motion today appears to me to be a House matter,” she said, asking the Leader of the House to “confirm or deny if his colleagues have been whipped on what appears to be a House matter, to block our motion”.

She added: “This Government’s response to our entirely proper motion is reminiscent of another attempt they made to meddle with proper processes to save themselves and their mates. Does the Right Honourable Member recognise that this looks awfully like Owen Paterson Mark II?”

Boris Johnson hopes for India trade deal by the autumn

Boris Johnson said he hopes a post-Brexit trade deal with India could be agreed by the autumn.

The Prime Minister has indicated that a deal will include accepting Delhi’s demands for an increase in migration to the UK, ahead of meeting his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

Mr Johnson had earlier put his target for a deal as being by the end of the year but appeared to shorten the timeframe during an interview in Gujarat, on the first day of a two-day visit to India.

Ahead of meeting Mr Modi on Thursday, the Prime Minister told broadcasters: “We’re hoping to complete another free trade agreement, with India, by the end of the year, by the autumn.”

Oliver Dowden asks Sir Keir Starmer to retract comment

Oliver Dowden, chairman of the Conservative Party has asked the leader of the Opposition to retract comments he made during Prime Minister’s Questions.

In a letter, Mr Dowden claimed the Prime Minister has always supported the BBC, despite Sir Keir alleging the Prime Minister had told MPs the broadcaster had not been critical enough of Vladimir Putin.

Boris Johnson: MPs must have the full facts

Boris Johnson said MPs must have the full facts before deciding whether to refer him to the Priviliges Committee.

He told reporters in India: “I think what people should have is the full facts.

“In the meantime what I want to do is get on with the job.”

Majority of voters think PM lied over Partygate – poll

A YouGov poll conducted for The Times, has found 78 per cent of voters believe the Prime Minister lied over Partygate.

Of that number, 61 per cent of those who voted Tory in 2019 believed the Boris Johnson misled MPs.

Nadhim Zahawi lashes out a Labour for Partygate motion

Speaking to LBC Radio, the Education Secretary accused the Opposition of “playing politics”.

He said: “My worry for the Labour Party is they are playing petty politics when we have got a global battle against inflation, when we have got to make sure that the six million backlog in the NHS is dealt with, when we’re dealing with Putin and the Ukraine.

“Playing petty politics with this is wrong, due process is right. I will be voting for the amendment because I think that is the right thing to do.”