British Prime Minister Liz Truss has promised to take disciplinary action against lawmakers who abstained or failed to vote with her Conservative party in a vote about fracking amid a total breakdown of unity and discipline.

Lawmakers openly rowed and jostled in parliament on Wednesday amid confusion over whether a vote on fracking was a confidence vote in her administration.

There were reports — later contradicted — that the government’s chief whip, who is in charge of parliamentary enforcer, had resigned.

"The whips will now be speaking to Conservative MPs who failed to support the government," a government spokesperson said. "Those without a reasonable excuse for failing to vote with the government can expect proportionate disciplinary action." (Reporting by Andrew MacAskill; editing by Sarah Young)