Gaza ceasefire vote: SNP MPs walk out in protest at Speaker

Senior Tories openly called for him to quit, accusing the ex-Labour MP of abusing parliamentary protocol to help his old party avoid a rebellion over Gaza.

The day ended with an emotional Sir Lindsay apologising to the Commons, telling MPs: “It was never my intention for it to end up like this.”

READ MORE: Analysis: The SNP and Labour scrapping over a Gaza ceasefire is politics at its worst

His apology may not be enough. MPs from both parties have put their names to an early day motion saying they have no confidence in the Speaker. 

The Commons spent most of Wednesday afternoon debating the situation in the Middle East after the SNP used one of their few allotted opposition days in the Commons to table a motion calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Both Labour and the Tories had submitted amendments. It was thought that, as per the House's standing orders, the Speaker would only put the government's amendment to a vote. 

However, MPs were left stunned when Sir Lindsay ignored warnings from his clerk and said MPs would get to vote on both amendments and the SNP motion.

That saved Sir Keir Starmer from what could have been a humiliating revolt. Reports suggested as many as 80 of his MPs were set to defy the whip and vote with the SNP had there not been a division on the Labour amendment. 

Some of his frontbenchers were among those considering disobeying orders. They would have had to resign or face being sacked. 

There were claims that Sir Lindsay's decision came after he was told by senior Labour figures - including Sir Keir's Chief of Staff, Sue Gray - that they would prevent him from carrying on in the role after the next general election. 

That was denied by both the Speaker and the party.

READ MORE: Stephen Flynn accuses Anas Sarwar of 'lying' over Gaza ceasefire vote

Earlier, the Clerk of the House of Commons, Tom Goldsmith, had shared a letter which he sent to the Speaker warning of the consequences of allowing a vote on both amendments.

He said because the Labour amendment was being voted on first, it could mean "that the House will not be able to vote on the SNP motion (nor on the Government’s alternative proposition)."

Penny Mordaunt, the Leader of the House of Commons, raised a point of order just before voting was due to start, to say that as "the Government does not have confidence that it will be able to vote on its own motion" Tory MPs would "play no further part in the decision this House takes on today’s proceedings.”

Under Sir Lindsay's original plan, MPs would first get to vote on the Labour amendment before moving on to further votes on the SNP’s original motion, and then the Government’s proposals if either of the first two were to fail to garner enough support.

But because Labour's amendment was being taken first, that meant if it was successful the SNP motion would be amended, and MPs would not get a vote at all on the SNP's motion as initially drafted. 

The Speaker was not in his chair, leaving it to his deputy, Dame Rosie Winterton to deal with angry MPs.

Mr Flynn was livid. In a point of order, he asked: "Where on earth is the Speaker of the House of Commons?

“How do we bring him to this House now to explain to the Scottish National Party why our views and our votes in this House are irrelevant to him?”

He asked the same question another two times after getting no answer.

Eventually, after a time-wasting vote on holding proceedings in private, followed by a rushed vote on Labour's amendment and the final amended motion, Sir Lindsay returned to the chamber.

There were shouts of resign as he told MPs his decision was taken with “the right intentions”.

He said: “Today’s debate was exceptional in its intensity with which all parties wished to secure a vote.

“I wanted to do the best, and it was my wish… to do the best by every member of this House," he added.

He went on: “The danger is… that that’s why I wanted everybody to express… because I am very, very concerned about the security of all members… I was very concerned, I am still concerned, and that’s why the meetings I have had today are about the security of members, their families and the people that are involved.

“And I’ve got to say, I regret how it’s ended up. It was not my intention. I wanted all to ensure they could express their views and all sides of the House could vote. As it was, in particular the SNP were ultimately unable to vote on their proposition."

Mr Flynn told the Commons that the debate on Gaza had been undertaken in a "positive fashion in the best fitting way of any democracy, any functioning democracy.”

He added: “Mr Speaker, whilst I acknowledge your apology, the reality is that you were warned by the clerks of the House that your decision could lead to the SNP not having a vote on our very own Opposition Day. As a result, we have seen the SNP Opposition Day turn into a Labour Party Opposition Day.

“I am afraid that that is treating myself and my colleagues in the Scottish National Party with complete and utter contempt. I will take significant convincing that your position is not now intolerable."

The Speaker continued to face jeers from the MPs as he left the chamber, handing back the chair to his deputy. 

READ MORE: Labour leader Keir Starmer demands 'ceasefire that lasts' in Gaza

The pandemonium in Parliament drew widespread criticism, with Palestinian ambassador to the UK Husam Zomlot telling LBC: “It’s very disgraceful. Today we have seen British politics at its worst.”

Meanwhile, thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators took part in a rally in Parliament Square to coincide with the debate.

The war began when Hamas-led militants massacred 1,200 people in Israel and took around 250 hostages on 7 October. They still still hold around 130 people captives.

Israel has laid waste to much of the Palestinian enclave in retaliation.

Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry estimates more than 29,000 Palestinians have been killed during the conflict.