Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s decision to depart from parliamentary convention during a debate on the conflict in Gaza has caused concern and pressure for him to resign from his position as Speaker. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called his decision “very concerning” and said that parliament should not be changed due to intimidation from extremists. However, he did not back calls to replace Sir Lindsay as Speaker.
The SNP is calling for a vote on Sir Lindsay’s future, and one in 10 MPs signed a motion of no confidence. BBC chief political correspondent Henry Zeffman said that a Speaker’s “reputation as a fair referee” is crucial and with accusations of playing “party politics” with the vote, Sir Lindsay finds himself in a precarious position.
His decision to allow a vote on a Labour amendment calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war during a debate allocated to the SNP on Wednesday plunged his tenure as Speaker into a crisis. The move meant that Labour MPs were able to call for a ceasefire without backing a differently-worded motion from the SNP, which led to fury among SNP’s MPs.
Sir Lindsay has apologized for giving MPs a vote on a Labour amendment during an SNP debate on Gaza on Wednesday, but he said it was to ensure MPs’ safety. He has offered the SNP another chance at a Gaza vote through a future emergency debate to make amends. It remains to be seen whether or not Sir Lindsay Hoyle will resign from his position as Speaker after the controversy
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