Thread by @ConUnit_UCL

Results are now up for the vote on the virtual House of Commons.

Absent voters were 90 Conservatives, 122 others (inc. 69 Labour, 40 SNP)

Had all absent Conservatives supported the government it would have won 332: 307

But they wouldn't have done. 1/5

votes.parliament.uk/Votes/Commons/…

Quite a number of absent Conservatives are clearly shielding. Most vocal spokesperson for them is @halfon4harlowMP (below).

Had they been able to vote they surely would have voted to keep their voting rights. 2/5

https://twitter.com/tamcohen/status/1267767601230417922

There are others who have been outspoken, such as @Mike_Fabricant below.

Clearly not likely to vote for the government - almost certainly against. 3/5

https://twitter.com/Mike_Fabricant/status/1267841738670067712

Many more have been silent. They may have rebelled, given the chance.

Or simply freely supported continued virtual working, of course, if the government hadn't whipped the vote.

Others were clearly uncomfortable & may have abstained deliberately. 4/5

https://twitter.com/sajidjavid/status/1267785216262889475

So absolutely no guarantee that the government would have been able to put the #VirtualParliament to an end had this been put to MPs in a form whereby all could participate.

This is really problematic. 5/5

Here's another take on that vote

Of Con MPs voting, 31 supported continuing a #VirtualParliament, as did all opposition MPs. 242 were anti

Had absent MPs split identically, that's 10 Con for, 80 anti, result 317:322

That's SO unlikely. The govt would almost certainly have lost