Grant Shapps has revealed he did not vote on the Partygate report on Monday because he was "working for his constituents".

MPs overwhelmingly backed a report that found Boris Johnson deliberately misled MPs over lockdown parties at Downing Street, with 354 votes for to just seven against.

According to the cross-party committee's report, Mr Johnson committed repeat offences when he claimed Covid rules had been followed at No. 10 at all times.

225 MPs did not vote, with Welwyn Hatfield MP Grant Shapps and Hertsmere's Oliver Dowden among them.

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Mr Johnson had asked his supporters to abstain from the vote, but according to Sky News, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had wanted the report to go through "on the nod" and without discussion, to hide Conservative party divisions.

But, as House of Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle called the vote, Labour chief whip Sir Alan Campbell voted against in order to create a division.

Mr Shapps described this move as "cynical", revealing he did not vote because he was "working for his constituents".

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"I didn't vote because it was a one-line whip as no vote was expected," he told the Welwyn Hatfield Times. 

"The Labour whip cynically created a vote by actually supporting Mr Johnson even though the Commons was not expecting a division.

"I was therefore getting on with working for my constituents instead."