2 years ago
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Labour MP Chris Bryant called for an investigation into the scenes he witnessed in Parliament
A Labour MP has said he saw "members being physically manhandled" during a vote on banning fracking.
Chris Bryant urged the deputy speaker of the Commons to launch an investigation into the scenes he witnessed.
He said MPs should be able to vote "without fear or favour", saying "we want to stand up against bullying".
He spoke after a Labour lost a vote on banning fracking despite the threat of a Tory rebellion.
Labour attempted to use a vote in Parliament to force the introduction of a draft law to ban fracking.
The government had ordered Tory MPs to oppose Labour in the vote, or face expulsion from the parliamentary party.
Ahead of the vote, three Tory MPs - including former climate minister Chris Skidmore - suggested they could not "vote tonight to support fracking".
The vote is the first parliamentary test of the government's fracking plans, but was never likely to be successful given the size of the Conservatives' majority.
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