This photo is not of Tory MPs fighting in the lobby

People are spreading a photo of Jacob Rees-Mogg embroiled in a scuffle following reports that Tories "manhandled" their own MPs to get them to support the government in a key vote - but it is not from last night.

The photo is being shared after Rees-Mogg and health secretary Therese Coffey were accused by a number of MPs of having physically “manhandled” and “bullied” a Tory MP into voting against Labour’s proposals to reinstate a ban on fracking.

It shows the business secretary in a crowd of people and it looks dodgy indeed, but it is actually a screengrab of a video taken in 2018 University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol.

In February of that year, Rees-Mogg attended the university to give a talk, but was interrupted by protesters who, when faced with those attending the talk, began pushing and shoving each other.

This is the pic, but to be clear, Jolyon Rubinstein confirmed he shared it because it "captures the mood" and said he knew it was from the UWE event. However, other Twitter users have falsely claimed it was from yesterday after the government defeated a Labour motion yesterday to force through a new law banning fracking by 326 to 230.

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40 MPs did not vote with their party, despite there being three-line whip and Labour MP Chris Bryant used a point of order to tell the Commons that he saw Tory MPs being “physically manhandled” into the government voting lobby. He asked for a formal investigation.

Today, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that it was "very aggressive, very angry", describing it as "clear bullying and intimidation".

"I saw a whole swathe of MPs effectively pushing one member straight through the door. I've seen photographic evidence of one MP's hand on another," he said.

"I have never seen scenes like that. All of this is happening because there is complete chaos in government."

He added that Tory MPs, including one whip, were "literally crying on my shoulder".

Be careful with the information you consume online - it could well be nonsense.

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