'Exclude Sinn Fein' motion defeated

Sinn Fein MPs refuse to take their seats in parliament

A Conservative Party attempt to exclude Sinn Fein from using offices at Westminster has failed after a Commons debate.

The Conservative motion calling for republicans to be excluded from using parliamentary facilities until they renounced violence, MPs voted against it by 336 members to 140.

Last December, parliament voted to allow Sinn Fein access to offices in Westminster for the first time, even though the party's four MPs refuse to take their seats.

Martin McGuinness, Gerry Adams, Michelle Gildernew and Pat Doherty also refused to take the oath of allegiance to the Queen required to sit in the Commons.

Davies argued facilities should be withdrawn

The decision to allow the party to use parliamentary facilities and receive office allowances was strongly opposed by unionist parties and the Conservatives.

Speaking in favour of Monday's Commons motion, shadow Northern Ireland secretary Quentin Davies said allegations of IRA activity, including alleged spying at Stormont, meant that republicans should be denied the office facilities.

He described the decision to grant the offices to Sinn Fein as "obnoxious".

But Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy said he did not think excluding Sinn Fein would help the situation in Northern Ireland.

He said: "The suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly is directly the result of a lack of trust and it is our job as a government and as members of parliament to ensure that trust is restored.

"I don't think trust between the parties in Northern Ireland would be helped one jot if this motion was passed."

Sinn Fein described the debate as "a pointless distraction".

The offices allocated to Sinn Fein are near the Commons chamber in one of the most sought after locations for MPs.