Sunak criticises Hoyle’s ‘very concerning’ actions over Gaza vote

Rishi Sunak has criticised Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s “very concerning” handling of yesterday’s Gaza vote.

A total of 67 MPs have now signed a motion of no confidence in Sir Lindsay, the Commons Speaker, after his handling of a Gaza ceasefire debate yesterday resulted in chaotic scenes in Parliament on Wednesday night.

Speaking during a visit to North Wales, the Prime Minister told reporters: “What happened in the House of Commons last night is very concerning.

“It seems that the usual processes and the way that the House of Commons works were changed. Now my understanding is that the Speaker has apologised for that and is going to reflect on what happened.”

Asked if he accepted Sir Lindsay’s arguments about the safety of MPs: “I think the Speaker has apologised, is my understanding for what happened last night… I think the important point here is that we should never let extremists intimidate us into changing the way in which Parliament works.

“Parliament is an important place for us to have these debates. And just because some people may want to stifle that with intimidation or aggressive behaviour, we should not bend to that and change how Parliament works. That’s a very slippery slope. It’s not the right way to go.”

Earlier today, Sir Lindsay told MPs he had made the “wrong decision” in his handling of yesterday’s debate but said he had been driven by a desire to protect parliamentarians from harm.

You can recap the day’s developments below and join the conversation in the comments section here.

05:52 PM GMT

That’s all for today…

Thank you for joining The Telegraph’s live coverage of another busy day in Westminster as Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s political future remained in the balance.

My colleague Jack Maidment will be back with you early tomorrow to guide you through another day.

05:37 PM GMT

Guardian criticised after Just Stop Oil article ‘calls for protests at Labour MPs’ homes’

A former shadow minister has criticised The Guardian’s publication of a Just Stop Oil opinion piece “calling for Labour MPs to be targeted in their homes”.

Stella Creasy said the piece, written by Sarah Lunnon, a co-founder of the protest group, was evidence of an “infection in our body politic”.

The Walthamstow MP told BBC Radio 4: “If you want any evidence of that, The Guardian newspaper has today… published an opinion piece calling for Labour MPs to be targeted in their homes.”

She added that she was “quite terrified in raising this” because she realised that doing so “puts me in the sightlines of the organisation behind it”.

My colleague Lauren Shirreff has the full story

05:05 PM GMT

Howell about that, then?

Paul Howell, a Conservative MP and a member of the 2019 intake, has become the 66th MP to call on Sir Lindsay Hoyle to go.

04:57 PM GMT

New: 65th MP signs no confidence motion

Allan Dorans, an SNP MP, has become the 65th MP to sign a no confidence motion in Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

04:45 PM GMT

Respect the ref, says Michael Gove in defence of Speaker

Michael Gove has defended Sir Lindsay Hoyle in the wake of the row over his handling of yesterday’s Gaza debate.

The Levelling Up Secretary insisted on the need to “respect the ref” in the wake of criticism of the Commons Speaker, who has faced calls to resign from more than 60 MPs.

“I don’t think this issue is really about the Speaker,” he told the Sun. “If you’re a Government minister like me, you’ve got to respect the ref – even if you disagree with his decisions. I like Lindsay.

“The thing I regret is that Keir Starmer is allowing himself and the Labour Party to be dictated by fear and intimidation.”

04:41 PM GMT

Police stood by as ‘From the river to the sea’ projected onto Parliament, says MP

Police stood by as the slogan “From the river to the sea” was projected onto Parliament on Wednesday night, a senior Jewish MP has said.

Andrew Percy, a Tory backbencher, raised concerns after pro-Palestinian protesters beamed the slogan onto the Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben.

He spoke out during a Commons debate on Thursday that saw many MPs express fears over their safety and warn that threats from “Islamist extremists” were stifling democracy.

From the river to the sea” is regarded by many as an anti-Semitic slogan as it implies the eradication of the state of Israel.

Nick Gutteridge, our Whitehall Correspondent, has the story here

04:21 PM GMT

We’re back down to 64 signatures

Philip Dunne has withdrawn his signature from the no confidence motion in Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

04:13 PM GMT

Sunak: Our Israel-Gaza position is clear – and we’re making a difference

Rishi Sunak told reporters in Wales his Government’s position on the Israel-Gaza conflict was “very clear”.

“We want to see an immediate pause in what’s happening in Gaza so that we can get more aid in and crucially get the hostages out, including the British hostages,” he said.

“And we can use that as a foundation to build a sustainable, lasting ceasefire. But that involves Hamas having no part to play in future governance of Gaza.

“We’re also increasing our aid right now. Just last night for the first time, we dropped aid by air into a hospital in northern Gaza, making a difference on the ground to people who need that help.”

04:11 PM GMT

Rishi Sunak criticises Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s ‘very concerning’ behaviour over Gaza vote

Rishi Sunak has criticised Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s “very concerning” handling of yesterday’s Gaza vote.

Speaking during a visit to North Wales, the Prime Minister told reporters: “What happened in the House of Commons last night is very concerning.

“It seems that the usual processes and the way that the House of Commons works were changed. Now my understanding is that the Speaker has apologised for that and is going to reflect on what happened.”

Asked if he accepted Sir Lindsay’s arguments about the safety of MPs: “I think the Speaker has apologised, is my understanding for what happened last night… I think the important point here is that we should never let extremists intimidate us into changing the way in which Parliament works.

“Parliament is an important place for us to have these debates. And just because some people may want to stifle that with intimidation or aggressive behaviour, we should not bend to that and change how Parliament works. That’s a very slippery slope. It’s not the right way to go.”

04:09 PM GMT

‘What happened last night was performative politics. Ghastly, awful, meaningless but clippable for a Twitter feed’

Sir Charles Walker has condemned the “ghastly, awful and meaningless” Gaza debate that took place in the Commons yesterday.

The Conservative MP said that while he could “understand the anger” with Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, over his handling of the SNP motion and amendments, Sir Lindsay had “made a full, frank, sincere apology and I know will work hard in the coming days and weeks to rebuild trust”.

Writing for the House magazine, Sir Charles said: “Regardless of the sincerity of the views expressed in the Chamber, I doubt that those in Rafah, either held hostage or sheltering from the bombs, are waiting to read their copies of the Hansard report.

“What happened last night was performative politics. Ghastly, awful, meaningless but clippable for a Twitter feed.

“It is not just the Speaker that needs to reflect on the way forward.”

04:03 PM GMT

65th MP signs no confidence motion in Hoyle

Philip Dunne, the Tory MP for Ludlow, has added his name to the no confidence motion in Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

04:02 PM GMT

Good afternoon

Dominic Penna here, The Telegraph’s Political Correspondent, guiding you through the rest of the day.

03:58 PM GMT

Pictured: Rishi Sunak visits an Openreach broadband exchange in Anglesey

sunak criticises hoyle’s ‘very concerning’ actions over gaza vote

Rishi Sunak looks at fibre optic cables, during a visit to an Openreach exchange in Anglesey, Wales – Phil Noble/Reuters

03:54 PM GMT

64 MPs have now signed no confidence motion in Hoyle

The no confidence motion in Sir Lindsay Hoyle has now been signed by 64 MPs.

03:51 PM GMT

Who has signed the motion of no confidence in Sir Lindsay Hoyle?

The Telegraph is keeping track of all the MPs who have signed the motion of no confidence in Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

You can read the full list, broken down by party, here.

03:39 PM GMT

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03:25 PM GMT

Sir Geoffrey Cox takes aim at Starmer over Gaza debate debacle

Sir Geoffrey Cox said Sir Lindsay Hoyle had made a “very, very serious error of judgement” in his handling of yesterday’s Gaza ceasefire debate.

The former attorney general said Sir Lindsay will have to “work very hard to restore the confidence of the House”.

However, the senior Tory MP argued the buck for the debacle should stop with Sir Keir Starmer.

He told GB News: “He aspires to lead this country and yet he has made arguments to the Speaker that we should alter our procedures in this House because of the risks to MPs and intimidation.

“That would have people who have occupied this House over the years revolving in their graves.”

03:13 PM GMT

SNP should give Hoyle a ‘second chance’, says Tory MP

Sir Charles Walker said he believed Sir Lindsay Hoyle can continue as Commons Speaker as he urged the SNP to “give him a second chance”.

Asked if Sir Lindsay could carry on, the senior Tory MP told Sky News: “Yes, he absolutely can.”

He added: “I think he will work hard in the coming months to reassure the SNP that he has a huge interest in protecting the interests of minority parties.”

03:01 PM GMT

Gaza row is Hoyle’s ‘first demerit’, says senior Tory MP

Sir Charles Walker said to remove Sir Lindsay Hoyle on the basis of making one mistake would be “harsh and unusual punishment”.

The senior Tory MP said the Commons Speaker’s handling of the Gaza debate had been his “first demerit”.

He told Sky News: “We all make mistakes. He has been the Speaker for over five years and he has had a pretty good speakership.

“This is his first big challenge and test, his first demerit, shall we say, and to remove him on the basis of one mistake, admittedly a big mistake but it is only one mistake, would be harsh and unusual punishment.”

02:50 PM GMT

63 MPs have now signed no confidence motion in Hoyle

The number of MPs to have signed the motion of no confidence in Sir Lindsay Hoyle has now hit 63.

02:48 PM GMT

‘He has my absolute 100 per cent full support and my total confidence’

Philip Davies, a Tory MP, offered his backing to Sir Lindsay Hoyle, telling the Commons: “The Speaker is a good, decent and honourable man and we’re lucky to have him as the Speaker of the House of Commons.

“He has my absolute 100 per cent full support and my total confidence. He made a mistake yesterday and unlike most politicians he’s been big enough to come to the House to admit he made a mistake, if only other MPs would admit when they make mistakes we’d probably be seen in a better light.

“I’m pretty certain he retains the full confidence of the overwhelming majority of people on both sides of the House.”

02:41 PM GMT

Stephen Flynn: ‘Hoyle no longer retains confidence of SNP MPs’

Stephen Flynn said Sir Lindsay Hoyle “no longer retains the confidence of SNP MPs to continue in his role”.

The SNP’s leader in Westminster told Sky News: “Lindsay Hoyle no longer retains the confidence of SNP MPs to continue in his role.

“I have grave concerns about the decision that was taken yesterday to turn an SNP opposition day into a Labour opposition day.

“And from my perspective I have massive, even bigger concerns, about the fact that Sir Keir Starmer met with Lindsay Hoyle prior and privately to that decision being made.”

02:32 PM GMT

61 MPs have now signed no confidence motion in Hoyle

And then there were 61.

The signatures of Stephen Flynn, the SNP’s leader in Westminster, and Ian Levy, a Tory MP, have just been added to the Early Day Motion expressing no confidence in Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

02:17 PM GMT

Pictured: Sir Keir Starmer visits a train depot in Crawley

sunak criticises hoyle’s ‘very concerning’ actions over gaza vote

Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, is pictured today during a visit to Siemens Traincare in Three Bridges, Crawley – Jordan Pettitt/PA

02:09 PM GMT

Hoyle is ‘obsessed with the safety of MPs and parliamentary staff’, says senior Tory MP

Sir Charles Walker, a senior Tory MP, said Sir Lindsay Hoyle is “obsessed” with the safety of MPs and it is “almost certain” that was the reason behind the Speaker’s move to select the Labour amendment yesterday.

Sir Charles said the decision was a “mistake”, but told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme: “I don’t think there was any malice behind it.

“I sit with him on the House of Commons Commission and I can testify to the fact that he is obsessed with the safety of Members of Parliament and their staff and all those that work on the precinct of the Palace of Westminster.

“And I am almost certain that is what motivated the decision yesterday – to make sure everybody in the House of Commons had a chance to vote for something that they could vote for.”

01:45 PM GMT

Hoyle has ‘a lot of work to do’ to rebuild confidence, says Douglas Ross

Douglas Ross, the Scottish Tory leader, said the trust in Sir Lindsay Hoyle has been “eroded” following the Gaza ceasefire debate debacle.

He said the Commons Speaker had “an awful lot of work to do” to rebuild the confidence of MPs.

Speaking to journalists in the Scottish Parliament, Mr Ross said: “I am going to reflect on the discussions that the Speaker has with party leaders and with chief whips.

“But I don’t think anyone should understate the seriousness of the situation and the trust that has been eroded from someone who I like and respect and have worked well with, the Speaker of the House.

“You can only remain in that position if you have the confidence of the whole House, and I believe, as many others do, that there is an awful lot of work to do to build that confidence.”

01:43 PM GMT

Tory MP explains decision to sign motion of no confidence

A Tory MP said he signed the motion declaring no confidence in Sir Lindsay Hoyle because the Speaker had “taken away” the SNP’s right to hold its opposition day debate.

Derek Thomas said he does not “necessarily buy” the argument that the Labour vote was allowed because of concerns for MPs’ safety.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme, he said: “I immediately felt deeply uncomfortable… What the Speaker had proposed, how he had taken away, really, the right of the SNP to hold their debate as they normally would.”

Asked about MP safety being part of the rationale behind the vote, he said: “I just don’t necessarily buy that. I’m an MP, there’s been a small number of instances which have been quite intimidating to my staff. I’ve had my name written on bits of infrastructure referring to genocide.

“Obviously some of the emails we receive are quite hostile. And I understand, because the situation in Israel and Gaza is truly horrific. But if what happened yesterday was intended to calm the nation down and make MPs and particularly their staff feel safer, it certainly didn’t have that outcome.”

01:28 PM GMT

Humza Yousaf: Hoyle’s position ‘looks untenable’

Humza Yousaf, the Scottish First Minister, said the position of Sir Lindsay Hoyle as Commons Speaker “looks untenable”.

Speaking to journalists following First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood, Mr Yousaf, the SNP leader, said: “As Stephen [Flynn] my colleague has said, he [Sir Lindsay] has serious questions to answer.

“His position looks to me to be untenable. What we saw was frankly disgraceful, chaotic scenes in the House of Commons.

“And I think the true tragedy of that is that it takes away from what is the most important issue and that is the fact that we have an absolute humanitarian catastrophe that has unfolded and is deepening in Gaza.”

01:24 PM GMT

Jewish Tory MP ‘felt safer in Israel last week’ than in UK

Andrew Percy, a leading Jewish Tory MP, said he “felt safer in Israel than I do in this country at this moment in time” when he visited last week.

He told the Commons: “For months I’ve been standing up here talking about the people on our streets demanding death to Jews, demanding Jihad, demanding intifadas as the police stand by and allow that to happen.

“Last night a genocidal call of ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ was projected onto this building. That message says no Jew is welcome in the state of Israel or in that land. This is going to continue happening because we’re not dealing with it.”

Penny Mordaunt, the Commons Leader, said the projections were being investigated.

She said: “With regard to the projections put on this building last night that is being looked at by both the Speaker’s Office, parliamentary security, the Metropolitan Police and Westminster City Council who will be responsible for pursuing prosecutions in that case.”

12:57 PM GMT

Hoyle admits he made ‘wrong decision’ on Gaza ceasefire vote

Sir Lindsay Hoyle has admitted he made a “wrong decision” in his handling of yesterday’s Gaza ceasefire debate but said he was driven by a desire to protect MPs from harm.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay said:

“I will defend every member in this House. Every member matters to me in this House.

“And it has been said, both sides, I never, ever want to go through a situation where I pick up a phone to find a friend of whatever side has been murdered by a terrorist.

“I also don’t want another attack on this House. I was in the chair on that day. I have seen, I have witnessed.

“I won’t share the details but the details of the things that have been brought to me are absolutely frightening on all members of this House, on all sides. I have a duty of care and I say that and if my mistake is looking after members, I am guilty. I am guilty because… I have a duty of care that I will carry out to protect people.

“It is the protection that led me to make a wrong decision. But what I do not apologise [for] is the risk that is being put on all members at the moment. I had serious meetings yesterday with the police on the issues and threats to politicians for us heading to an election and I do not want anything to happen again.

“So yes, I will apologise, I always will when I make a mistake.”

sunak criticises hoyle’s ‘very concerning’ actions over gaza vote

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker

12:46 PM GMT

Stephen Flynn: Hoyle cannot continue as Commons Speaker

Stephen Flynn said the SNP no longer has confidence in Sir Lindsay Hoyle and he could not continue as Commons Speaker.

The SNP’s leader in Westminster told Sir Lindsay in the Commons: “It descended into farce because of the decision that you made and you alone made to ignore the advice that was given to you by the clerks.

“In doing so, on the opposition day of the Scottish national Party, my colleagues and I were denied the ability to vote on a matter which is of grave concern to us and which over recent months we have sought to raise in this chamber at every available opportunity.

“It ultimately turned into a Labour opposition day. That quite frankly is not acceptable. As I have expressed to you privately prior to proceedings here today, we do not on these benches therefore believe that you can continue in your role as Speaker. We do not have confidence in your ability to do so.”

He said there should be a vote on the Speaker’s future “at the earliest possible occasion”.

12:38 PM GMT

Hoyle ‘did the right thing’, says Starmer

Sir Lindsay Hoyle did “the right thing” by selecting Labour’s amendment in the Gaza ceasefire debate, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said.

Sir Keir said: “The Speaker did the right thing in making sure the debate was broad. But the tragedy is the SNP walked off the pitch because they wanted to divide the Labour Party and they couldn’t, and the Government walked off the pitch because it thought it was going to lose a vote.

“So we had one party that was simply seeking to divide on an important issue, the Government lost control of its own MPs and couldn’t control the votes.

“We should have had a proper debate and a proper resolution with all three propositions being put to a vote.”

12:37 PM GMT

Tory architect of Hoyle no confidence motion pushes for formal vote

The architect of a motion of no confidence in Sir Lindsay Hoyle is pushing for a formal vote to be held on the Commons Speaker’s future.

William Wragg, a Tory MP, said: “It is with regret that I have laid an Early Day Motion in my name against the Speaker. But can I ask the Leader of the House a procedural point. That EDM continues to gather names this morning.

“Could she confirm from the despatch box the process by which that motion can be brought as a substantive motion to the floor of the House to be debated and voted upon?”

Penny Mordaunt, the Commons Leader, replied: “The Government will always listen carefully to the views of this House and the Speaker needs to command the confidence of it and therefore the future of the speakership is a matter for members of the House and not the Government.

“But of course the Government will listen to any requests for debates in Government time and members will also know other routes to secure a debate.

“As I reiterate, Mr Speaker has made himself  available to speak to all the parties and I am sure his door is always open to members individually too.”

12:29 PM GMT

I did not threaten Hoyle, insists Starmer

Sir Keir Starmer has “categorically” denied threatening Sir Lindsay Hoyle to select Labour’s amendment in the Gaza ceasefire debate.

The Labour leader said that he “simply urged” the Commons Speaker to have “the broadest possible debate” by putting a number of options in front of MPs.

Speaking at a train depot in Sussex today, Sir Keir said: “I can categorically tell you that I did not threaten the Speaker in any way whatsoever. I simply urged to ensure that we have the broadest possible debate.

“So that actually the most important thing, which is what do we do about the situation in Gaza, could be properly discussed by MPs with a number of options in front of them.”

There have been reports that Labour had threatened Sir Lindsay that if he did not select the party’s Gaza ceasefire amendment for a vote then Labour would not back him to continue as Commons Speaker if it wins the next general election.

Sir Keir’s comments came as the number of MPs to have signed a motion of no confidence in Sir Lindsay over his handling of the Gaza debate hit 59.

12:18 PM GMT

No 10 won’t say if Sunak has confidence in Hoyle

Downing Street repeatedly refused to say whether Rishi Sunak has confidence in the Commons Speaker.

Asked whether the Prime Minister has confidence in Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Mr Sunak’s official spokesman said: “The Prime Minister’s focus is on addressing the situation in the Middle East.

“And as I say, that is what he’s spending his time focused on. Matters for the House, as I say, are matters for the House.”

The spokesman added: “He’s clear that on the Speaker that’s a matter for House process and not the Government.”

12:17 PM GMT

Tory MP cautions against move to oust Hoyle

Sir Edward Leigh, a Tory MP, cautioned against a move to oust Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

He told the Commons: “The House relies on us having confidence in the Speaker. I think we should move on now and I would recommend that we don’t put in motions of no confidence but that actually we restore our reputation as soon as possible by having a proper debate on a Government motion where all amendments can be considered.”

12:13 PM GMT

Mordaunt meeting Hoyle for talks this afternoon

Penny Mordaunt told MPs that she will be holding talks with Sir Lindsay Hoyle this afternoon.

12:05 PM GMT

Handling of Gaza debate ‘unacceptable’, says SNP frontbencher

Owen Thompson, an SNP frontbencher, said the handling of yesterday’s debate on a Gaza ceasefire was “unacceptable”.

He told the House of Commons: “The reason we were in the position we were in was because the normal  conventions and standing orders of this House were overruled against the advice of the clerks and that only happened because the Labour Party wanted to get dug out of a hole and it is unacceptable.”

12:02 PM GMT

59 MPs have now signed no confidence motion in Hoyle

The number of MPs who have signed the no confidence motion in Sir Lindsay Hoyle has now ticked up to 59.

11:55 AM GMT

Starmer ‘not fit to lead’ the country, claims Mordaunt

Penny Mordaunt claimed that for Labour “nothing is more important than the interests of the Labour Party”.

The Commons Leader told MPs: “We have seen into the heart of Labour’s leadership. Nothing is more important than the interests of the Labour Party. The Labour Party before principle. The Labour Party before individual rights. The Labour Party before the reputation and honour of the decent man that sits in Speaker’s chair. The Labour Party before fairness, integrity and democracy.”

She claimed that Sir Keir Starmer was “quite happy to do what he knows to be wrong”.

A Labour MP could then be heard shouting “absolute nonsense”, as Ms Mordaunt continued: “He puts the interests of the Labour Party before the interests of the British people. It is the Labour leader that doesn’t get Britain and the past week has shown that he is not fit to lead it.”

sunak criticises hoyle’s ‘very concerning’ actions over gaza vote

Penny Mordaunt, the Commons Leader, addresses the House of Commons this morning

11:49 AM GMT

Penny Mordaunt attacks ‘weak and fickle’ Starmer over Gaza row

Penny Mordaunt said events in the House of Commons yesterday were “shameful” and the result of “party politics” from Labour.

She labelled Sir Keir Starmer “weak and fickle”.

Addressing Lucy Powell, the shadow Commons leader, Ms Mordaunt said: “Firstly, it fell to the Government benches to defend the rights of a minority party in this House.

“If the honourable lady opposite cannot bring herself to reflect on the appalling consequences of her party’s actions yesterday, if she cannot rise above the narrow and immediate needs of her weak and fickle leader, to fulfil her duties to this House as its shadow leader, perhaps she might like to reflect on the damage her party has done to the Office of the Speaker.

“I would never have done to him what the Labour Party have done to him.”

11:43 AM GMT

58 MPs have now signed no confidence motion in Hoyle

A total of 58 MPs have now signed the motion of no confidence in Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

11:42 AM GMT

Hoyle ‘always has the best intentions in his decisions’, says Labour frontbencher

Lucy Powell, the shadow Commons leader, said yesterday was a “very difficult day”.

She said Sir Lindsay Hoyle “did his upmost to do what he thought was in the best interests of this House”.

Ms Powell also said that Sir Lindsay “always has the best intentions in his decisions”.

She made the comments during the business statement in the House of Commons. Sir Lindsay was not in the chair at the time, with Dame Rosie Winterton overseeing proceedings.

11:38 AM GMT

SNP MP: Commons Speaker is ‘completely compromised’ and ‘has to go’

Stewart McDonald, the SNP MP for Glasgow South, claimed Sir Lindsay Hoyle had “folded like a cheap deckchair” in the face of alleged pressure from Labour to select its amendment on the Gaza ceasefire.

He also said he believed Sir Lindsay was now “completely compromised” and should be replaced.

He tweeted: “The Speaker folded like a cheap deckchair when pressured to upend the rules – which can now happen on any issue – and he is now completely compromised. He has to go.”

Mr McDonald has signed the motion of no confidence in Sir Lindsay.

11:28 AM GMT

Conservative MP explains decision to sign no confidence motion

Simon Baynes, one of the Tory MPs who has signed the motion of no confidence in Sir Lindsay Hoyle, explained his decision in a tweet.

He said: “I have signed the Early Day Motion ‘That this House has no confidence in Mr Speaker’ after he ignored the Clerk of the House’s advice… and effectively enabled Labour’s appalling behaviour yesterday in the House of Commons which hijacked the SNP’s Opposition Day Debate.”

11:17 AM GMT

Handling of Gaza debate brought ‘independence of Speaker into question’, says Tory MP

Jonathan Gullis, one of the Tory MPs to have signed the motion of no confidence in Sir Lindsay Hoyle, said yesterday’s events had “brought the independence of the Speaker into question”.

He tweeted: “I’ve signed the EDM stating that unfortunately I no longer have confidence in the Speaker. I like Lindsay a lot, he’s been a huge improvement on his predecessor, but what happened yesterday was wrong and brought the independence of the Speaker into question.”

11:05 AM GMT

SNP MP: Hoyle ‘tore up the rule book’ on Gaza debate

An SNP MP claimed Sir Lindsay Hoyle had “torn up the rule book” yesterday when he selected Labour’s Gaza ceasefire amendment to be voted on.

Richard Thomson said he had not yet signed a motion of no confidence in Sir Lindsay.

He told Sky News: “I haven’t yet done it because I want to hear what the outcome is of the discussions that he is going to have with the SNP’s leader at Westminster Stephen Flynn and our chief whip.

“But the reason for our unhappiness is clear. The Speaker at the very last minute chose to tear up the rule book of the House of Commons to allow a piece of procedural innovation, if we are going to be kind, which quite unprecedentedly allowed an opposition day debate to be hijacked.”

10:54 AM GMT

Sir Geoffrey Cox offers ‘two possible explanations’ for Speaker’s handling of Gaza debate

Sir Geoffrey Cox, the Tory former attorney general, said there were “two possible explanations for the Speaker’s decision to abandon long-standing convention” during yesterday’s debate on a Gaza ceasefire.

The senior Tory MP said Sir Lindsay either did it to help Sir Keir Starmer “out of a bind” or as a “misguided attempt to protect certain Labour MPs from the intimidation they said would otherwise have followed, if they had voted against the SNP motion”.

Sir Geoffrey argued that “either reason is unacceptable”. Here is his tweet in full:

10:39 AM GMT

57 MPs have now signed no confidence motion in Hoyle

And then there were 57.

William Wragg’s Early Day Motion expressing no confidence in Sir Lindsay Hoyle continues to edge close to 60.

10:36 AM GMT

Tory MP: Speaker showed ‘weakness and partisanship’

Danny Kruger said his decision to sign a motion of no confidence in Sir Lindsay Hoyle was not “personal”.

The Tory MP attacked Sir Keir Starmer and said both the Labour leader and Sir Lindsay had shown “weakness and partisanship” yesterday.

In a Twitter thread, Mr Kruger said: “I’ve signed the motion of no confidence in Mr Speaker. This isn’t personal: he’s a decent man and I’m sure he thought he was doing the right thing yesterday. But Sir Lindsay allowed Labour to use the Islamist threat to change the way our democracy works. This is unacceptable.

“Starmer is even more culpable. He should be standing for democracy and against mob rule. Instead he used the threat of violence for party political ends, to wriggle out of a crisis created by Labour’s unbridgeable division over Israel.

“Like the Speaker, I daresay Starmer wants to do the right thing. But like the Speaker he showed weakness and partisanship yesterday. This was a harbinger of what a Labour government would bring: extremists de facto in charge, and the subversion of democracy.”

10:31 AM GMT

56 MPs have now signed no confidence motion in Hoyle

The number of MPs signing the motion of no confidence in Sir Lindsay Hoyle continues to climb.

The number is now up to 56.

10:29 AM GMT

Ben Wallace backs Sir Lindsay Hoyle: ‘He has my full support’

Ben Wallace, the former defence secretary, said Sir Lindsay Hoyle has his “full support”.

The senior Tory MP tweeted: “I have served under three speakers. Lindsay Hoyle is head and shoulders above the rest. He is fair, kind and a protector of back benchers. He is not a bully nor a grandstander nor pompous. He has my full support.

“The real question we should ask ourselves is why Kier Starmer, the lawyer, seems to think Commons rules should not be followed. Is it one rule for Starmer and one for the rest of us?

“Labour always knew it was an SNP opposition day so why did Labour seek to override standing orders?”

10:11 AM GMT

53 MPs have signed no confidence motion in Hoyle

The number of MPs backing a no confidence motion in Sir Lindsay Hoyle has now hit 53.

10:01 AM GMT

51 MPs have now signed no confidence motion in Hoyle

The number of MPs backing a no confidence motion in Sir Lindsay Hoyle has now hit 51.

The numbers break down like this:

  • 29 Tory MPs 
  • 21 SNP MPs
  • One independent MP

09:59 AM GMT

How the no confidence motion works and why it matters

The no confidence motion in Sir Lindsay Hoyle is non-binding and not part of any formal process.

Early Day Motions are used by MPs to express their support or opposition on a specific issue and they normally don’t go anywhere.

It doesn’t matter how many people sign an EDM, it does not trigger any kind of review or vote.

However, in this case that does not matter. The fact that MPs are signing it is enough to pile the pressure on Sir Lindsay because it shows in simple and plain terms the scale of the revolt against him.

Every Commons Speaker is elected by the Commons. Any Speaker who loses the support of a significant portion of MPs will therefore struggle to stay in the role.

09:49 AM GMT

Number of MPs expressing no confidence in Hoyle hits 50

The number of MPs backing a no confidence motion in Sir Lindsay Hoyle has now hit 50.

09:47 AM GMT

No comment from Sir Lindsay Hoyle as Commons gets underway

Sir Lindsay Hoyle was in the Speaker’s chair at the start of proceedings in the House of Commons this morning.

He made no reference to last night’s chaotic scenes as the Commons got underway as normal.

09:31 AM GMT

Number of MPs expressing no confidence in Hoyle rises to 49

The number of MPs to have signed a motion of no confidence in Sir Lindsay Hoyle has now increased to 49.

There were 33 signatories to the Early Day Motion overnight, a mixture of Tory and SNP.

But the number has now spiked to 49.

09:20 AM GMT

What happens next?

The House of Commons sits from 9.30am on a Thursday so all eyes will be on the chamber shortly to see if Sir Lindsay Hoyle has anything further to say about yesterday’s debacle.

Thursday also happens to be the day when Penny Mordaunt, the Commons Leader, delivers the weekly business statement.

This provides an opportunity for MPs to ask for a debate at a later date on any subject they want.

There is speculation that some MPs could opt to use the business statement debate to ask questions about Sir Lindsay’s future. There are couple of urgent questions this morning so the business statement should get underway between 11.30am and noon.

09:14 AM GMT

Labour frontbencher: ‘No reason’ why Hoyle’s position should be under threat

Pat McFadden said he hoped Tory and SNP MPs do not pursue an attempt to oust Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

The Labour frontbencher said he believed there was “no reason why his position should be under threat”.

He told Sky News: “I think there was a resolution put down last night in the heat of all of this about having no confidence in the Speaker.

“I hope people don’t pursue that because there is no reason why his position should be under threat. He acted in good faith yesterday…”

09:00 AM GMT

Starmer made ‘representations’ to Speaker but there was ‘no manipulation’

Pat McFadden said Sir Keir Starmer had met with Sir Lindsay Hoyle ahead of the Gaza debate and made “representations” to him.

Labour’s national campaign coordinator said there was “no manipulation”.

Asked if Sir Keir had been to see Sir Lindsay, Mr McFadden told Sky News: “Yes, Sir Keir saw him and the chief whip saw him. I am not sure where. But I believe they met.”

Asked if such a meeting was appropriate, Mr McFadden said: “Yeah, people make representations all the time on [Commons business]. The Speaker regularly meets the Prime Minister, the chief whips from all the parties meet the Speaker.

“He took his decision in good faith yesterday because there is strong feelings about this issue in the country and that is not surprising…”

08:55 AM GMT

Claims of Labour threat against Hoyle ‘categorically untrue’, says McFadden

Pat McFadden said it was “categorically untrue” to claim that Labour had threatened Sir Lindsay Hoyle that if he did not select the party’s Gaza ceasefire amendment for a vote then Labour would not back him to continue as Commons Speaker if it wins the next general election.

Labour’s national campaign coordinator told BBC Radio 4 Today: “That is categorically untrue.

“I heard those rumours yesterday. As you would expect, I checked on that before coming on this morning. It is categorically untrue.”

08:44 AM GMT

Reader poll: Should Hoyle resign as Commons Speaker?

A total of 33 Tory and SNP MPs have signed a motion expressing no confidence in Sir Lindsay Hoyle. Do you agree with them?

You can have your say on the future of the Commons Speaker in our reader poll below:

08:26 AM GMT

Minister: ‘I would struggle now to support’ Sir Lindsay Hoyle

A Government minister said she would now “struggle” to support Sir Lindsay Hoyle staying in his role as Commons Speaker.

Maria Caulfield suggested the next 24 or 48 hours will be crucial so MPs can see how Sir Lindsay proposes to “fix the situation”.

The Tory frontbencher told Sky News that “we need to be absolutely sure that the votes weren’t influenced last night in any way” and MPs needed to know that the Commons can be “run fairly”.

Told that it sounded like she wanted Sir Lindsay to quit, Ms Caulfield said: “I am disappointed in his actions, there is no doubt about it, last night. Disappointed and surprised as well…”

Asked what her message to Sir Lindsay would be, she said: “I would say that I would struggle now to support him but let’s see what happens in the next 24, 48 hours. He knows he did wrong, he has apologised and let’s see what he proposes to fix the situation.”

08:19 AM GMT

Hoyle’s position is now ‘difficult’, says minister

A health minister said she believed Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s position as Commons Speaker is now “difficult”.

Asked if she believed Sir Lindsay’s position to be untenable, Maria Caulfield told Sky News: “I think his position is difficult. There is obviously a notice of motion calling for him to resign that has been signed by both Conservative and SNP MPs. He will be meeting with the Leader of the House today and the chief whips of the political parties.

“I think it is crucial the Speaker of the House is impartial, particularly if it is seen to be that they are siding with their own natural political party.”

Ms Caulfield said the handling of yesterday’s Gaza ceasefire debate had “dented my confidence in Lindsay”.

08:11 AM GMT

Hoyle ‘meeting Mordaunt and political party chief whips today’

Maria Caulfield said Sir Lindsay Hoyle is meeting with Penny Mordaunt, the Commons Leader, and the chief whips from each political party today.

The health minister told Sky News: “It is very, very disappointing what happened. The Speaker has recognised that he got it wrong and he apologised to the House fo Commons last night.

“He is meeting with the Leader of the House and the chief whips of the political parties today.”

08:04 AM GMT

Hoyle ‘acted in good faith’, says Labour frontbencher

A Labour frontbencher said he believed Sir Lindsay Hoyle had “acted in good faith” during yesterday’s debate on a Gaza ceasefire.

Pat McFadden, Labour’s National Campaign Coordinator, told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme that Sir Lindsay “took the view that given the strong feelings in the country on this issue that he would put before Parliament all three propositions that had been advanced”.

“He took that decision to have the widest possible set of options before Parliament,” he added.

07:53 AM GMT

‘He has certainly undermined my confidence’

A health minister said Sir Lindsay Hoyle had “undermined” her confidence in him over his handling of yesterday’s Gaza debate.

Maria Caulfield said the Commons Speaker had “realised his actions caused all of this” and that he had apologised.

Asked whether she still had confidence in the Speaker, Ms Caulfield told Times Radio: “He has certainly undermined my confidence in his actions yesterday.

“A Speaker has to be absolutely impartial for all parties.”

07:49 AM GMT

Minister says she was ashamed of Commons during Gaza debacle

Maria Caulfield, a health minister, said this morning that she was ashamed of the scenes in the House of Commons yesterday.

“I think it is just objectionable that Labour were worried that they were going to lose a vote and managed to somehow influence the order paper so that their motion came first, against the advice of the clerks at the House of Commons. That just is the sort of politics that turns people off,” she told Times Radio.

Asked whether she was ashamed of the scenes last night, she said: “Absolutely and I think the Speaker recognises, he apologised to the House of Commons… he got that wrong.”

07:45 AM GMT

Lee Anderson: Commons Speaker ‘let himself down’

Lee Anderson, the former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, said Sir Lindsay Hoyle had “let himself down” over his handling of yesterday’s debate on a Gaza ceasefire.

Mr Anderson told GB News: “I’ve got the greatest of respect for Sir Lindsay, I think he’s been a great Speaker, but, I think he’s let himself down.

“I think, personally, he’s probably been bullied and cajoled into this, had too much pressure. And to be honest when he came back into the chamber [to apologise]… for me, he looked like a broken man.”

07:43 AM GMT

IDS: ‘I certainly am not going to be voting to get the Speaker out’

Sir Iain Duncan Smith said he was against removing Sir Lindsay Hoyle from his role as Commons Speaker.

Sir Iain, a Tory former Cabinet minister, was asked during an interview on GB News if he believed Sir Lindsay will survive yesterday’s chaotic scenes in the chamber.

He said: “Personally, I am not after getting the Speaker out and his apology showed just how much pressure he had been under. But that is to others. I certainly am not going to be voting to get the Speaker out.”

07:41 AM GMT

Sir Iain Duncan Smith: Labour put Hoyle under ‘intolerable pressure’

Sir Lindsay Hoyle was put under “intolerable pressure” by the Labour Party, Sir Iain Duncan Smith claimed as the Commons Speaker fights for his political life.

Tory and SNP MPs have launched an attempt to oust Sir Lindsay after his controversial handling of yesterday’s debate on a Gaza ceasefire plunged the Commons into chaos.

But Sir Iain, the former leader of the Conservative Party, appeared to lay the blame for the debacle on Labour’s doorstep.

Asked if he believed Sir Lindsay was now in trouble, Sir Iain told GB News: “The SNP have expressed a lack of confidence [in the Speaker]; I don’t know where they’ll take it. I’m very fond of the Speaker, he’s been very good in many ways, and he’s defended our rights.

“I think the truth is he was put under intolerable pressure by Labour’s determination to bend the rules so they could have their own amendment. Many on the Labour front bench need to reflect on the position they’ve left him in.”

Labour has denied the suggestion that it put pressure on Sir Lindsay to select its amendment calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.

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