The Government is to attempt to delay a vote surrounding the partygate scandal, which would ask if a inquiry is necessary to see if Boris Johnson misled the Parliament over the incidents.

Mr Johnson will be on an official trip to India when a Labour-led motion calling for a parliamentary investigation into whether he lied to the Commons takes place today (Thursday, April 21).

The Prime Minister tried to avoid discussing partygate on the flight to Gujarat, as he vowed to fight the next election no matter how many times he is fined for breaching Covid laws.

An amendment has been tabled to defer the vote on the Commons inquiry until the Metropolitan Police’s own probe into lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street and Whitehall has concluded, and the Sue Gray report has been published.

This will allow MPs “to have all the facts at their disposal” when they make a decision, it said.

It is understood that all Tory MPs are being whipped to support the amendment.

However, former Conservative minister Andrew Mitchell suggested on Wednesday evening (April 20) that the PM could be referred to the Privileges Committee without a vote.

He told ITV’s Peston programme: “I don’t think there will be a vote tomorrow. I think the House of Commons will agree to refer it to the Privileges Committee.

“I shan’t be there – quite a lot of my colleagues are heading off either tonight or tomorrow morning to their constituency. We expect this matter to be referred to the Privileges Committee, and I think the Government will go along with it.

“After all, if you look down the years, references to the Privileges Committee have normally gone through on the nod.”

A Labour source claimed that any Conservative supporting the amendment would be “voting for a cover up”.

What will happen with the vote?

When MPs vote on Thursday, Conservatives will be urged to back the Government’s amendment to delay making a decision on whether to launch a Commons inquiry until all other investigations finish.

Mr Johnson sought to justify the position, which comes after Tory MP Craig Whittaker called for him to refer himself to an investigation to end the saga.

Asked why he would not submit himself to an inquiry if he had nothing to hide, Mr Johnson said: “I think the best thing is if the investigation is concluded. There’s a police investigation that has not concluded. We have to wait for that and then for Sue Gray to have her final say.”

Pressed if he would back an inquiry after that point, he said: “I think we need to wait and see where it gets.”

A Government spokesperson said: “The Government has tabled an amendment to Labour’s motion which says that consideration of this matter should take place after the conclusion of the police investigation, and the publication of the Cabinet Office report, allowing MPs to have all the facts at their disposal.”