Tobias Ellwood decided against abstaining on this evening’s privileges committee vote live on air after hearing from LBC listeners.
Voters are putting pressure on their MPs to turn up and be counted ahead of a vote on a report that found Boris Johnson lied over partygate.
Rishi Sunak says he does not wish to influence anyone in advance of the vote.
Speaking to Good Morning Britain on ITV, the Prime Minister said: “This committee was established under the former Prime Minister. It commanded the confidence of the house at the time and I’m sure that they have done their work thoroughly and I respect them for that.
“This is a matter for the house rather than the government, that’s an important distinction and that is why I wouldn’t want to influence anyone in advance of that vote.
“It will be up to each and every individual MP to make a decision of what they want to do when the time comes, it’s important the government doesn’t get involved in that because it is a matter for parliament and members as individuals, not as members as government.”
The motion on the Privileges Committee’s findings comes as Scotland Yard is “considering” the footage from a 2020 Christmas gathering at Conservative Party headquarters.
Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove, who has apologised for the video showing Tory staff dancing and joking about Covid restrictions, will also abstain from a vote.
He said it was a matter for each individual MP to decide their own course of action over the committee findings – leaving the door open for other Conservatives to follow suit and potentially avoid casting a ballot.
Ellwood made a screeching U-turn live on air.
Watch his comments below:
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