Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s position as Speaker is untenable, insist a growing number of SNP and Tory MPs, as the fallout continues from the chaos in the Commons last night.
At least 65 MPs – 10 per cent – have now signed a no-confidence motion against Hoyle after he broke with convention during a Gaza ceasefire vote – or, as critics put it, after he “changed the way our democracy works” – by choosing a Labour amendment for debate on a day designated for the SNP.
While Hoyle has twice apologied for making the “wrong decision” and promised to “reflect on what happened”, the SNP’s Westminster leader says his party has no confidence in him as Commons Speaker. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has not revealed whether Hoyle still has his confidence.
Yet more worthy of attention is Hoyle’s reasoning for breaking with parliamentary precedent. He has defended his actions by claiming that he allowed Labour’s motion to go ahead – and subsequently be passed – to protect the safety of MPs. This was after being told of “absolutely frightening” threats against them if Labour’s position was not debated.
Though not confirmed, this warning about MPs’ safety allegedly came from Starmer himself, when he went to lobby the Speaker yesterday afternoon.
The Prime Minister said today: “I think the important point here is that we should never let extremists intimidate us into changing the way in which Parliament works.”
Some MPs are interpreting it cynically as an opportunistic move from Starmer to pull the “safety card”. Tory MP Danny Kruger accused him of “using the the threat of violence for party political ends, to wriggle out of a crisis created by Labour’s unbridgeable division over Israel.”
But, regardless of how cynical Starmer’s intentions were, the fact that it roused enough fear in Hoyle to persuade him to alter the machinations of parliament is a damning indictment in itself.
Labour’s Jo Cox – murdered by a far-right extremist – and Conservative David Amess – murdered by an Islamic fundamentalist – are tragic reminders that threats to MPs’ safety should not be taken lightly.
Conservative MP, Sir Charles Walker, broke from many in his ranks today to defend Hoyle, insisting he made “a genuine mistake for the best of reasons.”
“I can testify that he is obsessed with the safety of members of parliament and their staff”, said Walker. “There is a real threat to MPs in the current climate.”
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