Sir Lindsay Hoyle: Speaker under pressure after chaotic Gaza ceasefire vote

Pressure is mounting on the Speaker of the House of Commons after discussions on a ceasefire in Gaza descended into chaos.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle broke with tradition and allowed a vote on a Labor motion calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire”, sparking outrage among SNP and Tory MPs.

Lord Lindsay later apologized but continues to face calls for his resignation.

Around 33 Conservative and SNP MPs signed a motion of no confidence in the Speaker.

Lord Lindsay apologized in the House of Commons after the vote and told MPs he took responsibility for his actions and would meet with key figures from the major parties to discuss what had happened, but he did not know when this would take place. It is unknown whether

The row erupted in the House of Commons on Wednesday, which was marked as SNP opposition day, meaning Scottish nationalists could introduce a motion for debate and a vote.

The SNP had originally tabled a motion calling for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza. Normally, this would have meant MPs would debate and vote on the motion before moving on to amendments submitted by other parties.

However, Lord Lindsay broke with tradition and passed Labour's amendment to the SNP motion first, infuriating both the SNP and the Conservatives.

He later said he had come to the decision to allow MPs to express their views on the “widest range of proposals”.

Labor's amendment calls for an “immediate humanitarian cease-fire” and points out that Israel “cannot be expected to stop fighting if Hamas continues its violence” and states that “Israel is safe and secure alongside a viable Palestinian state.” He called for a diplomatic process to achieve this goal.

Meanwhile, the first motion tabled by the SNP went further, calling for an “immediate ceasefire” and an end to “collective punishment of the Palestinian people”.

The government's proposals fell short of those proposed by Labor, which called for an “immediate humanitarian suspension”.

Lord Lindsay faced accusations that he had allowed Labor to “hijack” the vote by allowing the Labor motion to vote earlier.

Lord Lindsay's decision allowed Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer to threaten a new rebellion over the party's position in the Gaza Strip, as Labor MPs were able to show support for the ceasefire without voting in favor of the SNP motion. It means avoiding sex.

Labour's amendment passed with a resounding “yes” vote without a formal vote after the government said it would not take part in the protests.

This meant that there was no vote on the SNP's motion, which would have been the focus of the debate.

The government does not have to adopt Labour's position as the vote is not binding.

SNP MPs and some Conservative MPs were seen walking out of the chamber over the handling of the Speaker's vote.

House of Commons leader Penny Mordaunt said Lord Lindsay had “undermined the credibility” of the House of Commons and suggested his decision had allowed the debate to be “hijacked” by Labor.

He said this “raised the temperature in this House on this issue where emotions are already running high”.

Lord Lindsay later returned to explain his decision and apologize.

Amid calls for his resignation, he said, “I thought I was doing the right thing and the best thing, but I regret it and am sorry that it turned out this way.'' Stated.

“I take responsibility for my actions, which is why I want to meet with the key players involved.”

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn accepted the speaker's apology, but House of Commons officials warned that the decision could mean the party's vote, which was supposed to be an anti-SNP day, was not held. said.

Visibly furious, he said his party had been treated “with complete and utter contempt.”

“I will fully persuade you that your position is not intolerable now,” he added.

In a statement after the debate, Mr Flynn said: “It is disgraceful that Sir Keir Starmer and the Speaker conspired to prevent a vote on the SNP motion.”

“This should have been a chance for the UK Parliament to do the right thing and vote for an immediate ceasefire between Gaza and Israel, but instead it has become a Westminster circus,” he added.

He later told the PA news agency: “I think there probably needs to be a bit of an investigation into what happened here.”

A source close to the Speaker said suggestions that he was under pressure from Labor were “absolutely false”.

The source said Lord Lindsay did not take the decision lightly and said he was aware that MPs, their families and staff were under enormous pressure and was mindful of their safety. added.

Responding to claims of “collusion”, Sir Keir accused the Conservatives and SNP of “choosing political games rather than serious solutions”.

In an interview with BBC News, Shadow Secretary of Defense John Healy called the collusion allegations “ridiculous”.

“The Speaker is playing his role correctly, is there to protect the rights of all MPs, wants to ensure the widest possible debate and is committed to supporting Labor, Conservative and SNP major programmes. All three major parties had the opportunity to put it to a vote.''

Several MPs have called on the Speaker to resign, and 33 Conservative and SNP MPs have signed an early motion expressing no confidence in the Speaker.

Although early motions are rarely debated, MPs can show support for an issue, in this case a complaint about Lord Lindsay's actions.

SNP MP Pete Wishart, one of the MPs behind the motion, said he had done so because the Speaker's position was “almost untenable”.

However, many other MPs said they would not take this step.

Former Conservative minister Robert Buckland said he accepted the Speaker's apology and would not seek a vote of confidence.

The chaotic scenes in the Commons overshadowed the debate over whether there should be a ceasefire in Gaza, even as thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in Parliament Square.

Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood said he was “disappointed” by the scenes in Parliament and said the debate was intended to be “a real opportunity to highlight where the conflict is going and how it will be resolved.” I think it's unfortunate that there may have been politics involved.” It's being played on both sides. ”

Lord Lindsay was first elected as a Labor Party MP, but after becoming Speaker he renounced his party affiliation, as is customary.

Earlier this week, Labor pivoted to calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” after months of backbench and activist pressure.

Israel launched an operation in Gaza after Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and over 240 hostages.

Since then, Israeli military operations have killed more than 29,000 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, a figure recognized by the United Nations.