Lindsay Hoyle under pressure over Gaza vote as No 10 brands MP threats ‘attack on democracy’ - live
More than 70 MPs sign no-confidence motion in Commons speaker as PM expresses concerns
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Rishi Sunak has said it is “unacceptable” for protesters to demonstrate outside MPs’ homes as Downing Street said protest must not “turn into abuse”.
Speaking during a tour of North Wales on Friday, the prime minister said: “It’s simply unacceptable for intimidation or aggressive behaviour to threaten our parliamentary democracy and our freedom of expression.”
He added that he is giving police more power to clamp down on “intimidation and aggressive behaviour”.
A No 10 spokesperson said: “We will continue to keep MPs’ security under review to ensure that they have the protections that they need. We’re also both clear that we won’t allow democracy to be silenced or stifled.
“And intimidation against MPs is an attack on democracy and we won’t allow that to win.”
James Cleverly also vowed to be vigilant against threats and pressure on MPs after Sir Lindsay Hoyle argued his actions in the Gaza ceasefire vote were motivated by concern about security.
More than 70 Conservative and SNP MPs signed a no-confidence motion in Sir Lindsay in the aftermath.
Sunak says speaker’s actions ‘very concerning'
Prime minister Rishi Sunak criticised Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s handling of the Gaza ceasefire vote as “very concerning”, but said the Commons Speaker was “reflecting on what happened”.
He warned that parliamentarians should never be intimidated by “extremists”.
Signatures on no-confidence motion rise to 65
The number of MPs who have signed a no-confidence motion in the speaker has risen to 65.
Watch: Islamist extremists must be stopped from intimidating MPs, says Jenrick
Islamist extremists must be stopped from intimidating UK MPs, says Jenrick
Islamist extremists are being allowed to intimidate Britain’s MPs and must be stopped, former Home Office minister Robert Jenrick has said. The senior Conservative MP said the “real issue” of the last 24 hours in Parliament was not the “party political shenanigans” but that the House of Commons “appears cowed by threats of violence and intimidation”. A Commons row erupted on Wednesday (21 February) over Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s handling of an SNP-led Gaza ceasefire debate, after he took the unusual step of selecting a Labour amendment, saying this came as he was “very, very concerned about the security” of MPs and wanted all sides to vote.
Trust in Sir Lindsay eroded, says Scottish Tory leader
Trust in Sir Lindsay has been eroded after the events of Wednesday evening, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has said.
The Speaker has “an awful lot of work to do” to rebuild the confidence of MPs, he added.
Speaking to journalists in the Scottish Parliament, Mr Ross said: “I am going to reflect on the discussions that the Speaker has with party leaders and with chief whips.
“But I don’t think anyone should understate the seriousness of the situation and the trust that has been eroded from someone who I like and respect and have worked well with, the Speaker of the House.”
SNP Westminster leader tells speaker to quit
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has called for a no-confidence vote in the speaker and suggested he quit after Wednesday’s vote “descended into farce”.
Addressing the Speaker in the Commons on Thursday, he said: “My colleagues and I were denied the ability to vote on a matter which is of grave concern to us and which over recent months we have sought to raise in this chamber at every available opportunity.
“It ultimately turned into a Labour opposition day. That quite frankly is not acceptable.
“As I have expressed to you privately prior to proceedings here today, we do not on these benches therefore believe that you can continue in your role as speaker.”
No-confidence motion signatures rise to 61
The number of MPs who have signed a motion of no confidence in the speaker has risen to 61.
All of them are either Conservative or SNP.
MP says his elderly parents were threatened with being stabbed to death
A Conservative MP has revealed his elderly parents were threatened with being stabbed to death following a previous opposition day debate.
MP for Leigh James Grundy told MPs: “We all face difficult votes in this House. I myself saw the consequences of one of those votes when after an opposition day debate some time ago, my elderly parents were threatened with being stabbed to death.”
He added: “When we do vote on difficult matters, we should all do so under the same set of rules. I think that is very important.
“I think that yesterday, certainly many on this side of the House felt that the changing of the order of business meant that whilst entirely legitimately Labour MPs were protected from potential threats of violence and murder, people on this side of the House were consequentially more exposed to such threats.”
Mr Grundy continued: “We cannot continue like this - such breaches of procedure are unacceptable. Everyone’s right in this House to vote in the way that they wish and their security should be equal across all benches.”
Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt replied: “It is not just what is directed against us, it is directed against members of our family, perhaps most appallingly honourable members’ children as well.”
Investigation into ‘antisemitic projection on to Parliament’
Authorities are investigating reports that the words “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” – widely considered antisemitic – were projected on to Parliament on Wednesday, Penny Mordaunt has said.
Conservative former minister Andrew Percy told the Commons: “Last night a genocidal call for ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ was projected on to this building.”
The Commons Leader said: “With regard to the projections put on this building last night, that is being looked at by both the Speaker’s Office, parliamentary security, the Metropolitan Police, and Westminster City Council, who will be responsible for pursuing prosecutions in that case.”
Elsewhere in his remarks, Mr Percy said: “If we have a re-run of the debate we had yesterday we will have exactly the same thing happen again which is that members will not vote with their heart because they are frightened and they are scared.”
Ms Mordaunt said she believes all MPs have been subject to threats, “increasingly death threats”, and that she has herself. She said there are measures that can be taken to better ensure security.
But she told MPs: “We have to show courage, and our constituents need us to show courage on these matters. We must vote and do what we think is right.”
Islamist extremists intimidating MPs, says ex-minister
Islamist extremists are being allowed to intimidate British MPs and must be stopped, former Home Office minister Robert Jenrick has said.
He said the “real issue” of the past 24 hours in Parliament was not the “party political shenanigans” but that the House of Commons “appears cowed by threats of violence and intimidation”.
Mr Jenrick, before Sir Lindsay’s latest statement, told business questions: “The Mother of Parliaments appears weakened and diminished.
“We have allowed our streets to be dominated by Islamist extremists, and British Jews and others to be too intimidated to walk through central London week after week, and now we’re allowing Islamist extremists to intimidate British Members of Parliament.
“This is wrong, it has to stop, and would (Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt) organise a debate on extremism and how we tackle this challenge, which is one of the central issues facing our generation?”
Ms Mordaunt replied: “I could not agree more with (Mr Jenrick).
“British Jews are suffering a grotesque level of hatred and abuse, which quite frankly shames our country, and he is absolutely right that there cannot be any tolerance or quarter given to those individuals that threaten and try and prevent Members of Parliament conducting their business and honouring the obligations they have to their constituents to use their judgment when they come into this place.”
Shadow Commons leader Lucy Powell had raised concerns that MPs’ decisions were starting to be influenced by inappropriate pressure from campaigners, saying: “As we debate these important matters, a long shadow is increasingly cast over us. Threats, intimidation and security concerns.”
Watch: Lindsay Hoyle apologises again, admitting ‘I made a mistake’
Lindsay Hoyle apologises to MPs after Commons chaos: ‘I made a mistake’
Sir Lindsay Hoyle apologised to MPs again on Thursday 22 February, after the House of Commons descended into chaos on Wednesday evening during a Gaza ceasefire debate. The speaker admitted he made a “mistake” as he faces accusations he helped Sir Keir Starmer avoid another damaging revolt over the Middle East issue by upending parliamentary convention in approving Labour’s bid to alter an SNP motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. “I made a judgement call that did not end up in the position where I expected it to. I regret it, I apologise to the SNP and I apologise to the House,” Sir Lindsay said. “I made a mistake.”
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