Sir Lindsay Hoyle is clinging to his job after a Commons vote on a Gaza ceasefire descended into chaos yesterday.
The Commons Speaker upended parliamentary convention by selecting Labour’s bid to amend an SNP motion on the Israel-Hamas war.
His decision sparked fury from the Conservative and SNP benches, who accused him of helping Sir Keir Starmer avoid another damaging revolt over the Middle East issue.
Sir Lindsay issued an apology after a day of acrimony but continues to face calls to resign.
More than 30 MPs have signed a parliamentary motion tabled by a Tory MP declaring no confidence in him.
The row erupted when Sir Lindsay decided the Commons would first vote on Labour’s amendment before moving on to further votes on the SNP’s original motion and then a Government proposal seeking an “immediate humanitarian pause”.
He disregarded warnings from the House of Commons Clerk over the unprecedented nature of the move, which provoked uproar in the chamber.
Labour’s amendment ended up passing unopposed without a formal vote after the Government pulled its participation.
It marked the first time the Commons formally backed an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, though the Government does not have to adopt the position as the vote is not binding.
The SNP were ultimately unable to vote on their proposition calling for “an immediate ceasefire”, which was meant to be the focus of their Opposition Day.
SNP MPs and some Conservatives walked out of the debate in fury at Sir Lindsay’s handling of the debate.
He later apologised to MPs and vowed to hold talks with senior party figures.
Amid shouts of “resign”, he said: “I thought I was doing the right thing and the best thing, and I regret it, and I apologise for how it’s ended up.”
He said he took the decision to allow all sides to “express their views” and that he was “very, very concerned about the security” of MPs who have received personal threats over their stance on the Gaza conflict.
Had the Speaker not chosen the Labour amendment, the party’s MPs in favour of a ceasefire could have been pushed to back the SNP motion, in a repeat of a major rebellion against Sir Keir in November.
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