Sir Lindsay Hoyle has launched a scathing attack on the government for updating the press about the delay to lockdown easing in England before informing Parliament.

The Speaker told MPs that it was “totally unacceptable” for the government to hold a press conference this evening without first informing the Commons of its plans.  

Sir Lindsay said he had been forced to get Downing Street to alter its original proposal, which was for the press conference to go ahead at 6pm tonight, and for Parliament to be given a statement tomorrow. 

The usually phlegmatic Hoyle was visibly furious. And he has good reason to be. The move is symptomatic of a government that has become comfortable ruling by decree, and that now sees the accountability provided by Parliament as an optional extra.

The chamber will now hear the statement from Matt Hancock, the health secretary, after the news briefing at 8:30pm. The speaker made it clear he was still unhappy but said the compromise was better than the initial arrangement.  

Hoyle said while he understood that the Prime Minister was busy at Nato talks in Brussels, someone else could have taken his place and made the statement tonight.

This is not the end of the matter; Hoyle has demanded to meet the PM to discuss why the House was being “misled”.