Politics

Tobias Ellwood: 11 other Tories didn't vote last night but kept their whip

Tobias Ellwood: 11 other Tories didn't vote last night but kept their whip
Tobias Ellwood says PM doesn't have his support
Indy

Tobias Ellwood has been suspended from the Tories after not voting in yesterday's no confidence vote.

The senior MP was abroad for a meeting in Moldova and said he had been "unable to secure return travel due to unprecedented disruption both here and in the UK".

"I am very sorry to lose the whip but will now continue my meetings in Ukraine promoting the prime minister's efforts here and specifically seeking to secure the reopening of Odessa port - so vital grain exports can recommence," Ellwood said in a statement.

It may be bad form to miss a vote but here's the thing - 11 other Tory MPs did not vote on Monday's confidence motion, but only Ellwood has had the party whip removed.

The Tory Whips Office told the BBC that other MPs who could not make the vote were "paired appropriately", meaning they formed an arrangement with MPs from opposing parties to not vote on a particular issue - basically cancelling each other's votes out.

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But people think something fishy is going on, and now Ellwood won't be able to vote in the leadership election - he had been backing Penny Mordaunt.

So thank goodness Nadine Dorries had time to pipe up with her explanation:

Meanwhile, people have pointed out that Johnson acted quickly when Ellwood, who has consistently criticised Johnson and was one of the first MPs to call for him to resign back in February, didn't show his support for the government, but took a few days to suspend Chris Pincher from the Tory party, despite the allegations made against him.

Not the best look, then.

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