The Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, has issued an unprecedented apology after a chaotic debate on Gaza descended into acrimony. The apology came after Hoyle broke with parliamentary convention to allow a Labour amendment calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” to be voted on, a move that sparked fury among Conservative and SNP MPs.
Hoyle’s decision averted a major rebellion within the Labour Party, with up to 100 MPs reportedly ready to defy Sir Keir Starmer and back an SNP motion. The Labour leader personally lobbied Hoyle to allow the vote, which passed unopposed after Tory and SNP MPs walked out of the chamber. Starmer accused them of “choosing political games over serious solutions”.
Conservative MP William Wragg tabled a motion of no confidence in the Speaker, which by Wednesday evening had been signed by 33 MPs, mostly from the SNP. Penny Mordaunt, the Leader of the House, launched a bitter attack on Hoyle, accusing him of having “hijacked” the debate and “undermined the confidence of the Commons”. However, she later accepted his apology.
Hoyle defended his decision, citing threats to the personal safety of MPs who had faced abuse over previous votes on Gaza. He told the chamber: “I have tried to do what I thought was the right thing for all sides of this House. It is regrettable, and I apologise, that the decision didn’t end up in the place that I wished.”
