Labour MP refuses to be 'complicit in cover up' in scathing attack on party whips ahead of sleaze probe vote: 'I will NOT vote against!'

Expressing her outrage at Labour whips for telling MPs to go against an investigation into whether Sir Keir misled MPs, Ms Lewell told the House: "I have watched this whole sorry saga play out for weeks now. Like the public, I feel let down and disappointed. I am angry.

"Peter Mandelson should never have been appointed - this was a fundamental failure of judgment. Matthew Doyle should never have been given a peerage, this was also a failure of judgment."

In a direct attack on Labour Party whips, Ms Lewell declared that it is "wrong" that they have been pushed to vote against the investigation.

She argued: "I feel the way that today's vote has been handled by the Government smacks once again of being out of touch and disconnected from the public mood.

"The fact that MPs like me are being whipped into voting against this motion is, in my view, wrong."

Ms Lewell suggested that the "narrative" the Government is taking leads the public to believe there is "something to hide".

She added: "It has played into the terrible narrative that there is something to hide, and good, decent colleagues will be accused of being complicit in a cover up.

"Whether any Prime Minister misled the House or not is not a matter for the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, nor is it a matter for the Intelligence and Security Committee, it is a matter for Privileges, that is why such a committee exists."

Ms Lewell called on Sir Keir Starmer to "refer himself" to the Committee, arguing that "one quick session" with the committee would see the matter concluded.

She stated: "I can't understand why the Prime Minister doesn't refer himself to the committee with a clear statement that he is doing so to clear his name. One quick session of the committee could surely see this matter concluded.

"Instead, it will now drag on and dominate every headline interview. It will overshadow and undermine every good policy we make, and continue to drag every single one of us down."

Making clear that she will "not" be voting against the motion, Ms Lewell declared: "It may be that opposition parties are using this motion today to box Labour MPs in, but I'm not angry about that. That's politics. Some of us here would do the same.

"But I know one thing for certain today, that I will not be voting against this motion. But I want to listen carefully to the rest of this debate because, like everyone, when I came to this House, I wanted to do the right thing.

"And I hope I continue to do that for however long I have left in this place."

Ms Lewell also took aim at Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, recalling how leaked comments between her and the Prime Minister were "used" by Mrs Badenoch, resulting in "abuse" against her and her staff.

She explained: "A number of weeks ago, at a private meeting with the Prime Minister, I spoke about how, after a career of working so closely with victims of child sexual abuse, that I could not even begin to express how much it hurts me when people are screaming at me in the street that I am a member of the 'paedo protectors party'.

"I also said that prior to this scandal, people criticised the Government's policies and at times the lack of political narrative. But to me, they are now questioning the Government's moral compass.

"My comments were leaked almost immediately by colleagues who were present. My words were then used later by the leader of the opposition.

"Recent weeks have since seen such abuse intensify, and ongoing abuse and threats to mine and my staff safety continue."