What is really going on in politics? Get our daily email briefing straight to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

MPs have agreed unanimously to force the release of key Carillion documents after the Tory government refused to take part in a vote.

Labour hijacked an obscure procedure to say ministers must supply their "risk assessments" of major contracts with private firms since 2014.

It comes after the construction giant collapsed, threatening 20,000 jobs, despite being handed more than £1billion in contracts by the government months earlier.

Theresa May insisted the government was simply a "customer" of Carillion.

But critics fear the internal risk assessments will either show the government knew of Carillion's woes - or failed to register them as a risk at all.

Viewed generally, risk assessments could give a crucial insight into how the government was thinking at the time it awarded key contracts.

No one voted against tonight's House of Commons motion, so there was no recorded vote - it simply passed.

According to Labour, this means the government now has no choice but to supply the documents to the Commons Public Accounts Committee.

(Image: AFP)

Shadow Cabinet Office minister Jon Trickett opened the debate by blasting the government's response to the collapse after it named six firms that are due to take over Carillion's public sector contracts.

What a catalogue of failure," Mr Trickett told MPs. "One of the six firms donated money directly to the Tory party.

"Two of the firms are known for blacklisting workers. Amazingly, one of the firms is currently under investigation by the Serious Fraud Office for suspected offences of bribery and corruption.

"Another has previously been caught red-handed mispricing contracts, underestimating their eventual cost. As a consequence, £130 million was wiped off its share value.

"Another of the companies operates in the Cayman Islands and has been shown to use that location as a way of avoiding tax.

"Another of the firms is part of a group that has reportedly abused and exploited migrant workers in Qatar.

"My reaction to all that is to use three letters: WTF!"

(Image: AFP)

Tonight's debate is the latest example of the government refusing to oppose motions brought in the House of Commons by Labour.

Others called for moves such as a public sector pay rise, while Labour used the same method as it did tonight - a "humble address" to the Queen - to force Brexit Secretary David Davis to publish his reports on how Brexit would hit the economy.

Earlier Cabinet Office minister David Lidington said he would comply with the motion if it was passed.

But he warned he would have to investigate how not to release any commercially sensitive information.