The House of Commons Twitter account has been banned from tweeting the results of votes after Tory MPs complained it was breaking impartiality rules when one tweet went viral, the Guardian has learned.
Set up in 2012, the Commons account has been used to inform the public about procedures and policies of the House, share information about upcoming events and debates, and post the outcome of divisions.
One tweet in July was retweeted 17,500 times before being deleted, as a response to pressure from the parliamentary Conservative party which led to a crackdown.
During the passage of the trade bill, intended to pave the way for post-Brexit trade deals, the Commons Twitter account shared the outcomes of votes on amendments and new clauses: a 326-263 defeat for a clause relating “to parliamentary approval of trade agreements”, and approval without division for amendments about “sharing information and ministerial functions relating to trade”.
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