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LONDON — The Speaker of the U.K.’s House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, is facing sustained pressure to step down after a night of parliamentary chaos over a symbolic vote on a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.
More than 50 Conservative and Scottish National Party MPs have now called for Hoyle to quit, after he defied long-established parliamentary procedure during a debate Wednesday on the conflict in the Middle East.
Hoyle — a former Labour MP meant to act as impartial umpire of action in the Commons — is facing claims he tipped the scales in favor of the opposition Labour Party, helping to spare it a potentially embarrassing rebellion.
Speaking in the House of Commons Thursday, the SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said that his party “does not have confidence in your ability to continue.” He asked Hoyle how to press for a vote to remove him from his position.
The SNP motion at the heart of the row had called for an “immediate” cease-fire in Gaza. While a symbolic move, it was designed to show support in the Commons for a cease-fire, and posed a headache for Labour.
Hoyle broke with precedent and allowed Labour to put forward its own amendment to the motion — still calling for a cease-fire, but tempering criticism of Israel’s conduct in the war.
That spared Labour a potential rebellion — and deprived the SNP of a chance to vote on its own motion on.
Hoyle, who appeared taken aback by the scale of the opposition to his move on Wednesday night, again apologized Thursday.
But, responding to Flynn in the Commons, he said he had been motivated by a desire to protect MPs from intimidation by allowing the broadest range of views on the conflict to be expressed.
“I never want to go through a situation where I find a friend from any side has been murdered, I also don’t want another attack on this House,” Hoyle said, adding that he has seen evidence of “absolutely frightening” threats made to MPs because of their stance on the war in Gaza.
More than half of the SNP’s Westminster parliamentary party have now signed a motion posed by the Conservatives MP William Wragg calling on Hoyle to quit.
Several Conservatives have also signed up — but Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government has not yet indicated it will support calls for Hoyle to go. Losing the government’s backing would pose a real threat to Hoyle’s position. Labour is rowing in behind him.
Speaking Thursday, Cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt, who serves as leader of the Commons, hit out at Labour — which has denied pressuring Hoyle to select its amendment.
“It fell to the government benches to defend the rights of a minority party in this House,” Mordaunt told MPs.
“I would ask all honorable members not to do this house a further disservice by suggesting that the shameful events that took place yesterday were anything other than party politics on behalf of the Labour Party.”
