Hoyle selected Labour’s weak Gaza amendment for debate , against Commons protocol
Tonight’s Commons vote on the SNP’s call for a ceasefire in Gaza has collapsed into chaos, with both the SNP and the Tories walking out of the Commons chamber in protest at Speaker Lindsay Hoyle’s decision to allow Labour’s amendment to go onto the agenda.
Parliamentary protocol dictated that the Tories’ amendment should have ruled out Labour’s weadel-worded attempt to dress up a motion calling for a pause when it suits Israel as an amendment to the SNP’s clear condemnation of Israel’s genocide.
But Hoyle selected Labour’s amendment, allegedly after threats from Starmer and his team that they would try to remove him as Speaker if he didn’t accede. The announcement led to chants from some MPs for the return of John Bercow, the previous Speaker.
The Tories said they would ‘play no further part’ in the vote. SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said he would ‘take significant convincing’ that Hoyle’s position was not now untenable.
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