THE Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, “lied” to MPs and the public when he said the SNP would have the chance to hold a second debate on a Gaza ceasefire, Stephen Flynn has said.
The SNP’s Westminster leader hit out at the embattled Speaker on Tuesday morning after he U-turned on his previous offer to allow a renewed SNP-led debate.
Since Hoyle broke with convention and let Labour table an amendment on SNP opposition day – allowing Keir Starmer to avoid what was expected to be a sizeable rebellion in his party ranks – chaos erupted in the Commons and he has been facing calls to quit.
In an attempt to quell unrest, Hoyle told the Chamber: “I would say that we can have an SO24 [Standing Order 24] to get an immediate debate because the debate is so important to this House.”
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He then repeated the offer, saying: “Yes, I will apologise, I always will when I make a mistake. I did, I offer an SO24, that is within my gift and power.”
But on Monday, Hoyle reneged on his offer.
Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland, Flynn said: “Unfortunately, the Speaker of the House of Commons [has] broken the rules and now broke his word and effectively lied, not just to SNP MPs but the entire parliamentary chamber and indeed the public last Thursday.
“I don’t think anyone can be in any position where they don’t find that deeply, deeply challenging given the Speaker of the House of Commons is there to effectively ensure that democracy runs smoothly on these isles.”
Asked about his relationship with Hoyle, Flynn said: “I’ve been very clear, and in fact there was a few folk who suggested I might have jumped the gun last week when I said that Lindsay Hoyle’s position was no longer tenable and I feel almost vindicated in that regard.
“He told the SNP one thing on Thursday and he turned his back on that just yesterday, flying in the face of precedent by the way.”
Flynn further said the Speaker was “obviously bullied” by Starmer, dismissing denials as like “me denying I’m a bald man”.
Starmer and Hoyle have both denied that the Labour leader threatened or bullied the Speaker to get him to change convention. Starmer has admitted only that he "urged" Hoyle to do so.
At the time of writing, 81 MPs, around 12% of the Commons, have signed an early day motion saying they have no confidence in Hoyle to continue as Speaker.
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