In a sign of how chaotic tonight has been for the Conservative party, I have now been told that the Chief Whip Wendy Morton and her deputy Craig Whittaker have not left the government after all. I have spoken to Northern Ireland Minister Steve Baker, who says: ‘I have just seen the deputy and he is categorical that neither he nor the chief have resigned.’ No. 10 has belatedly confirmed this too.
Steve Baker seems to be the only minister trying to offer some kind of government line
What seems to have happened is this. The whips instructed the party that the fracking vote would be a confidence issue this morning. It then became clear during the course of that debate that a number of Tory MPs didn’t really care about losing the whip on this issue, presumably because they didn’t think they’d have long to wait before a new leader restored it – or because it might become a badge of honour anyway.
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