Ask John Rentoul anything as chaos follows Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s handling of Gaza ceasefire vote
What actually happened in the House of Commons on Wednesday? And what’s likely to come next? The Independent’s chief political commentator John Rentoul is here to answer all your questions
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Your support makes all the difference.Sir Lindsay Hoyle has apologised twice to MPs following an extraordinary fallout over the Commons Gaza debate on Wednesday.
Tory and SNP MPs stormed out of the chamber after Sir Lindsay broke with convention to allow a vote on Labour’s Gaza ceasefire amendment.
The simmering row centres on his decision to select Labour’s bid to amend an SNP motion calling for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza and Israel, which was later passed without a division.
The SNP had opted to use one of its allocated opposition day debates to press for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages held by Hamas and “an end to the collective punishment of the Palestinian people”.
Labour responded by tabling an amendment to the motion in addition to the government’s. It was then Sir Lindsay’s decision to select the party’s amendment for a vote and debate that angered many MPs.
The SNP were angry as they felt their opposition day had been hijacked by the speaker – but also because they had hoped to expose divisions over Gaza within the Labour Party.
The chaos continued into Thursday, when Sir Keir Starmer was forced to deny he had threatened Sir Lindsay and SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn called for a vote of no confidence in the speaker.
So what actually happened in the Commons on Wednesday? And why are the SNP and Tories so outraged?
What’s next for Sir Lindsay and the amendment that was agreed?
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