WEDNESDAY was designated as an SNP opposition day in the House of Commons. This allowed the SNP to choose the topics for debate and to submit motions in support of their chosen subject(s).

Commons procedure has been for many years that if the UK Government submits an amendment to the proposed motion, that is the only amendment called by the Speaker. This is done to ensure the opposition motion will always be voted on. After all, it is an opposition day (this time for the SNP).

However, reports suggest that Keir Starmer met with the Speaker immediately before the debate to try to persuade him to also allow Labour’s amendment. For whatever reason the Speaker agreed to call this amendment, despite being warned by senior officials that such an action was likely to result in no vote taking place on either the original SNP motion or the government amendment.

Think about that! The Leader of the Opposition and probably the next prime minister, seeking to persuade the Speaker to throw out the rules of the House for his own party-political gain.

Worse still, the Speaker agreed to this despite being forewarned of its consequences. As a result, the SNP motion (on their designated opposition day) was not voted on. It is hardly surprising that a significant number of MPs have signed a motion of no confidence in the Speaker.

While Israel continues its collective punishment of innocent Palestinians and threatens to send ground forces into Rafah, Starmer congratulates himself on avoiding a rebellion of about 100 of his MPs.

David Howie

Dunblane

I HAVE never heard as much bullshit spoken by Labour politicians over the chaos and debacle we saw in the “cesspit” on Wednesday night, with Labour blaming the SNP for the shambles when they were at the heart of the organised controversy.

The debate was set, first for the SNP as it was their “day” to put forward their motion, then after a change of heart the Speaker, having been rumoured to have been “nobbled”, changed the terms of the debate.

This was a deliberate attempt to relieve the Labour leader of the embarrassment of 100 of his MPs voting for the SNP motion. For the Speaker to now say it was to protect MPs from death threats is nothing more than a cover-up.

SNP MP Joanna Cherry and many more have had death threats for years, and not once has any debate been stifled. To come out with this excuse now is mind-boggling.

To change the order of play to save Labour’s blushes was dishonest to say the least. I’m sorry, the Speaker can apologise as much and for as long as he wants, the damage is done. Goodbye Mr Speaker.

Ken McCartney

Hawick

IN the face of the International Court of Justice ruling that it is plausible that Israel is in breach of the Genocide Convention, after the events in Westminster on Wednesday night with its toxicity on full display, everyone with a shred of humanity must be ashamed to be British.

What is Labour’s problem with naming Israel’s current action in Gaza as collective punishment rather than excusing it as “self-defence”?

I applaud the SNP for walking out of the House of Commons and hope that it will not be long before Scotland walks out of the Union.

I stand in solidarity with Palestine.

Ni Holmes

St Andrews

WHAT a shambles. The SNP presented a perfectly worded motion. Is what is going on in Gaza “collective punishment”? Just watch the news clips and the answer is emphatically YES.

Hoyle needs to go and the SNP should be congratulated in showing what a schoolboy shambles the House of Commons is.

Does this behaviour happen at Holyrood? No. The sooner Scotland is away from these clowns in London – clowns in all shades of politics, Labour, Conservatives, whatever – the better.

Bring our SNP MPs back up to Scotland to reinforce the case for independence – I am sure that would do far more good than being stuck in the toxic atmosphere of Westminster.

Oh and well done, Flynn – excellent politician and wasted in the rabble down south.

Frieda Burns

Stonehaven

WALKING out of the House of Commons over the Gaza vote debacle was, I think, an appropriate course of action by the SNP group. Even better would be walking out of the Commons altogether.

Instead we have “Lord” Blackford telling us simple independence-supporting schmucks that the party should be sending members to the House of Lords! Seriously?

No wonder there is now a yawning gap between independence supporters and the political party whose raison d’etre is supposed to be achieving it.

John Quinn

Dundee

THERE are times when anger is so intense, the only release is direct action. After Wednesday’s farce at Westminster I am left with the sad understanding that, for Scotland, that time is now.

Nicey, nicey is laughed at, reasoned debate is scorned, democratic results ignored, the so-called partnership of equals trashed in front of our faces.

So where does this leave Scotland as Westminster once more finds itself unfit for purpose while the English empire laughs up its sleeve as Scotland?

The reality is that the English empire has only ever responded to direct action when parts of its former self have said “we are walking out the door”.

I believe in Scotland and would prefer a democratic resolution but the time for talking is now past. The SNP have to wake up to that and take the gloves off.

Peter Thomson

via email