by The speaker refused to allow the SNP a second debate on a humanitarian ceasefire as the party demanded an investigation into the chaos surrounding the Gaza ceasefire vote last week.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle has said he will not allow a requested emergency debate on Gaza because the government will produce a “relevant statement” tomorrow.
The SNP walked out of the chamber in fury last week after Sir Lindsay chose a Labor amendment to their opposition debate calling for a humanitarian ceasefire.
The speaker’s refusal to grant another debate on the issue is likely to worry the SNP, which is among 70 MPs who signed a so-called early-day motion tabled by a Tory MP declaring he has no confidence in the speaker.
Shadow digital minister Sir Chris Bryant said he was inspired by Labor figures to halt parliamentary proceedings last Wednesday ahead of a vote on the SNP’s motion calling for a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict.
The interruption was aimed at giving Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer time to persuade Sir Lindsay to allow MPs to vote on the Labor amendment to the SNP motion.
The SNP accused Labor of using “every dirty trick in the Westminster book” to destroy the vote.
Under the Deputies’ precedent, the Labor amendment would not normally be voted on as the so-called opposition day debate was to be led by the SNP.
Sir Lindsay said he eventually allowed Labour’s amendment so that MPs under intense pressure from constituents over the conflict could vote without fearing for their safety.
But SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has accused him of hijacking the SNP opposition debate for Labor – his old party.
He also called for Sir Lindsay to be removed from office and said that the SNP no longer trusts the Speaker of the House of Commons.
Sir Keir denied threatening to sack Sir Lindsay as speaker after the general election to push through Labour’s reform.
But on Monday, the SNP called for a “full, independent investigation” into why Labor was able to “deliberately break” the ceasefire in Gaza over the SNP’s motion.
It came after Sir Chris was asked if he was “set up” to debate in parliament while Sir Keir was meeting the speaker or if he “took it upon himself”.
“A bit of both, if I’m honest,” he told Channel 4.
Sir Chris added: “I think the whole day was a blur, and we need a system that doesn’t allow people to manipulate the rules to get what they want.”
And then, when it was pointed out that he had done exactly what he was complaining about, Sir Chris laughed and accepted.
The SNP said it followed a series of “damning” publications over the weekend, including claims that Sir Keir used the time bought by Labour’s filibustering to “barge” uninvited into a meeting with the speaker shortly before Sir Lindsay allowed a party vote. amendment.
The party’s Cabinet Office spokeswoman Kirsty Blackman said: “These damning revelations show that Sir Keir Starmer pulled every dirty trick in the Westminster book to destroy the SNP’s vote for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Israel.
“After months of opposing an immediate ceasefire, and even defending Israel’s right to withhold water and power from Gaza, it is disgraceful that Starmer has sought to postpone this important debate – with his partner making poetry, bullying on the speaker, and trying to reduce the resolution by eliminating any reference to the collective punishment of the people in Gaza.
“Starmer’s party has been caught red-handed after Chris Bryant’s admission. There must now be a full and independent investigation into the appalling behavior of Keir Starmer and his colleagues, who are no better than the Tories in manipulating the broken Westminster system.”
Since last Wednesday’s events, Sir Lindsay has been under pressure amid accusations that he helped Sir Keir avoid another damaging Middle East standoff by opting for the Labor amendment.
The speaker of the Commons broke convention to allow a vote on Sir Keir Starmer’s amendment to the SNP motion, which itself called for an end to the bloody conflict.
Sir Keir had warned that he was facing the biggest rebellion to his leadership if MPs were not offered a vote on Labour’s reform.
Under considerable pressure from the electorate, and amid frustration with the Labor Party’s approach to the conflict in Gaza, thousands of Sir Keir’s MPs were willing to rebel against the leader and support the SNP’s calls for a ceasefire.
But, in what his chief adviser called a “departure from established convention”, Sir Lindsay allowed MPs to vote on three motions to address the conflict, made by the SNP, Labor and Rishi Sunak’s government.
In the end Labour’s motion was passed without a vote, and neither the government’s amendment nor the SNP’s original wording was voted on.
