Gaza ceasefire debate – live updates: Speaker sparks fury with amendments decision

There was chaos in the Commons this afternoon before the debate on a Gaza ceasefire even got under way.

Let’s try to break down how the Speaker made some MPs so angry.

How did we get here?

Today, the SNP is holding a vote calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. It’s able to because it is an “opposition day” in the Commons, where a party not in government can decide what is voted on.

The SNP is calling for an “immediate ceasefire”.

Labour wanted to amend the SNP motion, instead calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire”.

Then, the government announced it was tabling an amendment – this would call for a pause, rather than a ceasefire.

What would normally have happened?

Now, under the standard procedures of the Commons, it was convention that on opposition days, if the government tabled an amendment this is the only one that would be picked to vote on and be debated.

However, this would have left Labour in a difficult position.

It could not have whipped its MPs to vote for the Tory position as it goes against the party line, but abstaining would not have been easy either. 

Many Labour MPs – potentially including frontbenchers – would have wanted to support the SNP’s motion in this case to vote to back a ceasefire of any description.

If Labour had whipped to abstain, this could have seen resignations, as happened with the likes of Jess Phillips in November when a similar situation occurred.

What has the Speaker done to spark such fury?

By choosing to allow both amendments to be voted on, the Speaker saved the Labour front bench a major headache.

But this has infuriated the Conservatives and the SNP.

The SNP sees the move as intruding on its debate, which it rarely gets a chance to lead.

And the Conservatives see it as the Speaker – who was previously a Labour MP – playing favourites.

Both sides were also annoyed by the break in convention from the Speaker for other reasons – with some raising the chaos caused by the previous Speaker, John Bercow

During Brexit, Mr Bercow broke precedents in the House to the frustration of the Conservative government at the time.

Why are some MPs so angry?

The current Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, was told by the clerk of the Commons his decision “represents a departure from the long-established convention for dealing with such amendments on opposition days”.

What the parties won’t say out loud is that they wanted Labour to have to confront the turmoil of not having their amendment picked, as it would have weakened Sir Keir.

As Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby says, while there is “huge relief” for Sir Keir, Sir Lindsay’s decision has sparked “huge backlash”.

Sir Lindsay says he wanted to “allow a vote to take place potentially on all proposals from each of the three main parties” – and intends to ask the procedure committee to consider changes.