Sunak says Speaker's actions on Gaza ceasefire vote 'very concerning'

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With the list of SNP and Tory MPs who have signed a motion of no confidence in Sir Lindsay Hoyle going up slowly but steadily throughout the day, anger at the Speaker remains - but what this means moving forward remains unclear.

Here's how another busy day at Westminster played out:

• More than 65 MPs have now signed the motion of no confidence
• The SNP and a number of Conservatives have expressed anger at Hoyle after his decision on Wednesday to table a Labour amendment over an SNP motion, leading to chaotic scenes in Parliament
• Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Hoyle's actions were "very concerning", but he didn't go as far as calling for him to stand down
• Earlier, the SNP's Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said his party had lost confidence in Hoyle's ability to continue in the role
• Hoyle appeared in the chamber this morning and apologised for a second time, saying he had made a mistake and regretted it

• But a number of MPs on all sides of the house rallied to Hoyle's defence, with Lib Dem leader Ed Davey saying the Speaker still had the confidence of his party
• Meanwhile, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer "categorically" denied allegations he had threatened the Speaker into allowing the Labour amendment

Earlier, we reported that Rishi Sunak had described Sir Lindsay Hoyle's actions yesterday as "very concerning".

You can watch the comments below, which were made during the prime minister's trip to Wales.

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SNP MP David Linden has said he believes that Sir Lindsay Hoyle's position as Speaker is "untenable" and that he will be out of his position by the weekend.

Speaking to our colleagues on Radio 4's PM programme, Linden says: “The reality is, the Speaker of the House of Commons was bounced into this by the Labour leadership.

“Sir Keir Starmer said he did not pressure the Speaker but he has avoided the question as to whether other Labour MPs did."

Linden added that the Speaker should now "do the right thing and resign to allow us to get back to the issues that matter".

As a reminder, the Speaker went against Parliamentary convention yesterday by allowing a vote on a Labour amendment to an SNP proposal. He has since apologised to the SNP.

Starmer has denied threatening Hoyle, saying he “simply urged” the Speaker to ensure there was the “broadest possible debate”.

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More now from that interview Rishi Sunak gave to reporters in Wales moments ago.

The PM says it's still the government's position that there should be an "immediate humanitarian pause" in the Israel-Gaza war.

"The government's position is 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 says.

That would create a foundation to build a "sustainable, lasting ceasefire," he adds, but it would involve 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," Sunak said.

A reminder that the motion put forward by Labour last night called for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire". We've explained the difference in this post here.

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Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, is saying his party will continue to back Sir Lindsay Hoyle in the aftermath of yesterday's Commons row.

Speaking to Sky News earlier this afternoon, Davey said he thought yesterday's walkout by SNP and Conservative MPs "did not show Parliament in a good light".

He says his party will continue to back the Speaker of the House and that he made his decision "in good faith".

"Liberal Democrats have confidence in Speaker Hoyle. I think he was in a very difficult position."

Davey says that Hoyle had to take into account fears over the "the security and safety of MPs" and that he believes he handled himself "very professionally".

The Lib Dem leader went on to say that some parties were now "trying to make political gain" out of the Commons row.

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There's been a lot of talk today about MPs - particularly SNP and Tories - saying they no longer have confidence in Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, after he broke convention yesterday and chose a Labour amendment for debate on a day designated for the SNP.

The number of MPs who've made their feelings official, by signing a no confidence motion, has now increased to 63. At around 07:30 GMT, 33 had.

Debating the matter in the Commons earlier, MPs made repeated reference to EDM (Early Day Motion) 412 and whether they had signed it or not.

If you were wondering what EDM 412 is, it's Westminster language for that motion, which was tabled yesterday and can be signed by MPs from all parties. So far, only politicians from the SNP and Conservative parties have done so. Take a look at who they are here.

Tory MP Danny Kruger says he signed the no-confidence motion in the Speaker for "allowing" Labour to use extremist threats to MPs' safety to "change the way our democracy works".

"This is unacceptable," he writes on X.

The MP for Devizes says his decision is "not personal" and, like Ben Wallace, indicates that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was "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," he adds.

Not long ago, we heard Conservative MP Sir Charles Walker speaking on the BBC's World at One programme where he's been expressing his support for the Speaker and his decisions.

"I don’t think there was any malice behind it," the Tory MP said.

There is a real threat to MPs in the current climate, he says, while citing information about security issues that he cannot discuss publicly. This, he claims, is what drove the Speaker's decision.

"I can testify that he is obsessed with the safety of members of parliament and their staff."

The Conservative MP assesses Sir Lindsay Hoyle's performance as being "very good to pretty good" over the last five years, adding that there have not been many complaints made about him.

"This was a genuine mistake he made for the best of reasons," Walker says.

Here's the moment Stephen Flynn, the Scottish National Party's (SNP) leader at Westminster, told MPs in the Commons that he and his colleagues no longer believe Sir Lindsay should be Speaker of the House.

"We do not have confidence in your ability," Flynn told Hoyle - in the chair at the time - before asking for clarity about how best a vote on the matter can be facilitated.

Flynn has also just recently added his name to the early day motion of MPs expressing no confidence in the Speaker.

Here it is in full:

A Conservative MP who signed the early day motion expressing no confidence in Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has told the BBC yesterday's chaotic scenes in the Commons reminded him of "the Brexit years"

Derek Thomas, the MP for St Ives, told Radio 4's World at One programme that he recalled that time as a period "where Parliament just wasn't functioning".

"So much of that was because the speaker at the time just tended to veer away from what would have been described as the normal way of running things in the House of Commons," he said.

Thomas said he felt Hoyle had "taken away" the SNP's right to hold its debate.

Asked if he believed that Hoyle had been pressured by Labour, Thomas replied, "I don't know what went on. I just don't understand why he took that decision", adding that Hoyle "seemed to lack judgement".

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

As we head into the afternoon, let's take a look back at what's been happening today since last night's break of parliamentary convention and subsequent walkout of the House of Commons:

• Right now, 60 MPs say they have no confidence in Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle. The number has been steadily rising over the morning, so more could add their voice to the call this afternoon
• Hoyle briefly appeared during the Business Questions session in the House of Commons this morning and apologised again
• He is holding talks with party leaders, and is facing calls for his resignation

• Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has not revealed whether Hoyle still has his confidence. The SNP leader Stephen Flynn says Hoyle has lost the party's confidence
• Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer "categorically" denied allegations he threatened Hoyle into allowing the Labour amendment

• Some MPs are voicing fears for their safety following last night's vote, which approved a Labour Party call for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire"
• During Business Questions, a number of Tory, Labour and SNP MPs called for a new debate on Israel-Gaza

Back in the Commons chamber, business as normal is slowly returning after the scenes yesterday, and as we reported a little earlier - questions to the Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt have wrapped up.

Just before they did, we heard from a few more MPs about what happened yesterday. Here's a quick round-up of what was said:

• Tory MP Anna Firth, who succeeded Sir David Amess as the representative of Southend West after he was killed during a constituency surgery in 2021, thanked Lindsay Hoyle for his apology and said he had been a "great help and support" to her and the Amess family
• SNP MP David Linden got up to say it was with "huge regret" he had signed the motion indicating he has no confidence in Hoyle - he said he likes the speaker on a personal level but Hoyle "can't object" to the views being expressed by MPs
• Another Conservative, Brendan Clarke-Smith asked why no division was called in the vote yesterday, insisting there were calls of no as well as aye. Deputy Speaker Dame Eleanor Laing said she had spoken to Dame Rosie Winterton - who was presiding over the vote - and been assured she could not hear any calls of no due to the level of noise in the Commons

Callers from around the UK have told the BBC's Nicky Campbell on 5 Live what they think of yesterday's Commons walkout.

Rhiannon in Glasgow said that last night “completely undermines what [MPs] were there to talk about”.

Sue in Chorley told the show that Sir Lindsay Hoyle, “should be there, being impartial, sorting out these unruly rabble” and that he made the “whole thing a farce.”

Peter in Portsmouth doesn’t think a vote for a ceasefire should be a priority for Parliament: “We need to be focused on the issues facing British people today; cost of food, council tax going up, high petrol prices and the energy crisis.”

Jaclyn in Keynsham says yesterday was a "disgrace" and that it was no longer about Gaza adding, “it became about them”.

You can listen back to the programme here

With the Commons wrapping up Business Questions, let's bring you more on the news we reported earlier of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer denying threatening the House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

As we heard in Parliament, there have been reports that Labour put pressure on Hoyle to allow its amendment to be put to a vote.

Starmer says he “simply urged” the Speaker to ensure there was the “broadest possible debate” over calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.

You can watch a clip of Sir Keir below.

James Grundy, Tory MP for Leigh, says that following an opposition day debate some time ago, his elderly parents were threatened with being stabbed to death, adding that he knows his fellow MPs are facing similar threats today.

He implores MPs that when "we do vote on difficult matters, we should do so under the same set of rules".

He adds that while Labour MPs were protected "entirely legitimately from potential threats of violence and murder", Conservative MPs "were consequently left more exposed"

Mordaunt says she "completely agrees", telling MPs: "I hope all have got that message".

While a lot of blame for last night’s scenes is being attached to the Speaker, some (particularly Labour) MPs are pointing out that the reason the SNP didn’t get to vote last night is because the government chose to abstain.

Had the Government voted against Labour, the SNP motion would have been voted on next.

‘But the Conservatives upped sticks and walked away, with a majority of 80’, said one Labour MP.

Meanwhile in Edinburgh, a Scottish Parliament debate calling for the "immediate ceasefire in Palestine and Israel" is under way.

The member's debate is being led by SNP MSP Ivan McKee, but, as is normal, there will be no vote on the motion.

The SNP's Patricia Gibson is making a bold claim relating to the allegations of interference by Sir Keir Starmer, which he has in the last hour denied.

She says the Labour leadership are the subject of "grave allegations" of "engaging in dark practices" and "possibly even of blackmail", which she says led to the break in parliamentary convention.

A chorus of "what?" echoes around the House as Gibson says this.

She asks for Mordaunt to give her opinion on there being full disclosure on the conversations that took place between Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Starmer prior to the debate yesterday.

She also asks for another Opposition day for the SNP to air their views on the Israel-Gaza war.

Mordaunt says Gibson has her views on the record, and will talk to the SNP leader, but doesn't specify exactly which request of Gibson's she will raise.