THE UK Government has removed the whip from a Tory MP who sided with Labour in the Commons.
Anne Marie Morris rebelled to support a move to cut VAT on energy bills. The Newton Abbot MP said she was “disappointed” by the decision, but insisted she would not apologise for supporting efforts to address the rising cost of living.
The Conservative voted in favour of a Labour motion on Tuesday which would have led to the Government losing control of the Commons timetable to allow legislation to cut VAT to go through.
Morris said: “It is deeply disappointing to have had the whip removed by the Government, especially on a matter of simply standing up for what I believed to be the best interests of my constituents.”
Concerns are growing within Westminster about the impact on household finances of a rise in energy bills in April coming at the same time as the increase in National Insurance and rising inflation.
Morris added: “I believe removing VAT is the right thing to do and I won’t apologise for supporting measures that would help my hard-working constituents at a time when the cost of living is rising.”
She acknowledged the Government’s concern about the Opposition taking control of Commons business but “I believe that any disagreement over parliamentary procedure will always come second to standing up for the best interests of my constituents”.
Labour’s VAT cut motion was defeated by 319 votes to 229, majority 90, with Morris the only Tory to rebel.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel