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| Three Tory MPs miss vote on Syria motion | Three Tory MPs miss vote on Syria motion |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Kenneth Clarke, the minister without portfolio, missed the Commons vote on the motion authorising military action in Syria for 'logistical family reasons', a spokeswoman said. | Kenneth Clarke, the minister without portfolio, missed the Commons vote on the motion authorising military action in Syria for 'logistical family reasons', a spokeswoman said. |
| Clarke, who attended the National Security Council meeting that approved the government's plans, was "fully supportive" of the government motion, she said. | Clarke, who attended the National Security Council meeting that approved the government's plans, was "fully supportive" of the government motion, she said. |
| International development secretary Justine Greening and junior foreign minister Mark Simmonds also failed to vote, because the bell that alerts MPs of a division was apparently not rung. | |
| It is understood Greening and Simmonds were in a room near the Commons chamber discussing a different foreign policy matter, but because the clerks failed to ring the bell they were not aware the vote was taking place. | |
| Both MPs voted against the Labour amendment at 10pm, which called for "compelling evidence" the Assad regime was behind the chemical attack. | |
| But Simmonds then apparently asked to speak to Greening about a separate Foreign Office issue and the pair went to a meeting room – a small room near the chamber which ministers often use between votes. | |
| Once there, they apparently did not hear the bell for the second vote. |