Rebecca Long-Bailey was one of 15 Labour MPs to rebel against the government in favour of launching an investigation into the Prime Minister over his appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson.
The Salford MP was ultimately outvoted as the motion brought forward by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to refer Sir Keir Starmer to the Privileges Committee was rejected in the Commons by 223 to 335, a 112 majority.
Sir Starmer will not face a parliamentary investigation into claims he misled Parliament over Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the US as a result of the vote.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch had accused the Prime Minister of misleading the Commons by claiming “full due process” had been followed and “no pressure existed” in Lord Mandelson’s appointment.
Some Labour figures have branded Mrs Badenoch’s call for an investigation a “political stunt.”
But Long-Bailey was part of a handful of backbenchers to break ranks on Tuesday to criticise the Government for whipping its MPs to oppose the motion and suggested the Prime Minister should refer himself to the Privileges Committee to “clear his name.”
This is not the first time the Salford MP has voted against the Labour authority. She was suspended from the Labour Party in July 2024 after voting against the government in favour of scrapping the two-child benefit cap.
She spent six months as an Independent before being readmitted into the parliamentary party in February 2025. Since then, Labour has walked back on its refusal to remove the two-child cap, lifting the limit in April.
Inside the Commons on Tuesday evening, Sir Keir was in attendance to vote against the motion, which would have seen him investigated.
Following the vote, a Downing Street spokesman said the Government was “delivering for Britain” while the Conservatives had “resorted to this desperate political stunt” ahead of local elections “because they have no answers on the cost of living or the NHS”.
Mrs Badenoch said Labour MPs would “rue the day” they voted against the motion, accusing them of being “complicit” in a “cover-up”.
She said: “This is a Government coming apart at the seams. They are more interested in their own survival than the cost-of-living crisis affecting hardworking families.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said Sir Keir had “ducked scrutiny” by whipping his MPs to oppose the Tory motion, describing the move as “cowardly.”
Sir Keir has consistently denied misleading the House, leaning on the conclusion of former Cabinet secretary Sir Chris Wormald that “appropriate processes” were followed.
But earlier on Tuesday, former senior Foreign Office mandarin Sir Philip Barton declined to endorse Sir Keir’s assessment, saying it was for MPs to form their own view.
Sir Philip told the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee it was unusual for the peer’s appointment to be announced before security vetting had been completed and suggested there was pressure to “get on with” approving Lord Mandelson’s developed vetting (DV).
The committee also heard from Sir Keir’s former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, who insisted he did not “ask officials to ignore procedures, request that steps should be skipped, or communicate explicitly or implicitly that checks should be cleared at all costs” during the appointment of Lord Mandelson.
Meanwhile, Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) said on Tuesday it had finished reviewing the Government’s proposed redactions to documents relating to Lord Mandelson’s appointment ahead of publication.
MPs ordered the Government to publish a huge tranche of documents connected to the appointment in February, but so far only a handful have been released.
The Government has asked to redact some of the documents requested for national security reasons, or because they relate to a police investigation into allegations against Lord Mandelson of misconduct in public office, which the peer denies.
In a statement on Tuesday, ISC chairman Lord Beamish said his committee had reached decisions on all the proposed redactions, including some requested within the previous 24 hours.
The Government could still challenge those decisions at a private committee hearing, which would take place after the state opening of Parliament next month.
Lord Beamish said the ISC had “made exceptional efforts to ensure that it is not holding up the publication of documents” and any delay in publication of the documents was “in no way due to the committee’s part in the process”.
The Downing Street spokesman said: “We will continue to engage with the two parliamentary processes that are running on Peter Mandelson’s appointment with full transparency.”
By Christopher McKeon and Rhiannon James, Press Association Political Staff.
