COMMONS speaker Lindsay Hoyle reminded MPs why the House has a rule not to accuse others of lying or misleading Parliament.

Ahead of Prime Minister's Questions, the speaker made a statement after the SNP's Westminster leader accused Boris Johnson of misleading the Parliament on Monday after an update to Sue Gray's partygate report was published.

Following the findings of the report showing that there had been gatherings in Downing Street that could have broken Covid guidelines, Blackford said that the Prime Minister had "wilfully misled parliament".

He was told by Hoyle at the time to either withdraw his comment or add "inadvertently" before it. Blackford refused and eventually left before being removed.

READ MORE: Ian Blackford KICKED OUT of House of Commons after Boris Johnson criticism

Hoyle accepted that there are "frustrations" around the practices in regards to accusations of lying and misleading Parliament.

"Firstly, let me say that there are means by which accusations of lying may be brought before the House, including by means of a substantive motion. The Scottish National Party did so on their opposition day in November.

"However, members may not accuse each other of lying or deliberately misleading the House unless such a substantive motion is under consideration. 

He added that Erskine May - the codebook for parliamentary procedure - is that this is to "preserve the character of parliamentary debate". Hoyle said he takes this to mean that it is to stop it "descending into fruitless cycles of accusation and counter-accusation".

Hoyle continued: "May I also say that expressions used in respect of other members which are regarded with particular seriousness generally leading to prompt intervention from the Chair and often a requirement on a member to withdraw the words include charges uttering deliberate falsehoods.

"It is important to stress context. Similar words said in different proceedings might attract a different response from the Chair depending on the subject being debated. Tone, and other considerations, but in general the Chair will not tolerate accusations of lying or deliberately misleading the House. That is the long-standing practice of the House as set out in Erskine May and followed by successive speakers and deputy speakers.

"Of course, long-standing practices may change, for example, if the House decided it wanted a different approach, perhaps performed by the Procedure Committee inquiry, but it's not for me to change the practice unilaterally. 

"Therefore, I ask members to respect this approach. I know feelings run high on important issues we discuss but there are plenty of ways of making strong feelings felt within the rules and placing the Chair in the invidious position of having to order members to withdraw on seeking their suspension."