Who is Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons speaker embroiled in the Gaza ceasefire vote row?

The Commons speaker has been regarded as mostly uncontroversial and unbiased – until now

Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has found himself at the centre of a political storm this week following his controversial and unprecedented decision to allow MPs to vote on a Labour amendment to the SNP’s Gaza ceasefire motion.

Hoyle claims he made his decision to allow the “widest possible range of options” to be considered. In an unlikely union, many SNP and Conservative MPs have called for his resignation, lodging accusations of bias towards his former party.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Commons speaker, his life and political career:

Commons Speaker – 2019-Present

Hoyle become Speaker of the House of Commons in November 2019, beating rival Labour MP Chris Bryant with 60 per cent of the final vote. In his acceptance speech, he said he would be a “transparent” speaker, telling MPs that “this House will change, but it will change for the better”.

Until recent events, Hoyle has remained a largely uncontroversial speaker. His predecessor John Bercow had been accused of bullying during his time in the role, with an independent panel upholding many of the allegations against him.

Hoyle has made clear his aim of distinguishing himself from predecessor: “I’ve come into this job as a referee”, he said after his election. “It shouldn’t be about me, it’s about the Chamber”.

Hoyle’s reputation as impartial has not regularly come into question before now. In 2019, his support from both sides of the chamber was seen as a sign of trust in his commitment to non-partisanship in the crucial speaker role.

MP for Chorley – 1997-2019

Hoyle served as MP for Chorley, a seat in the northern county of Lancashire, for nearly 22 years. At the time of his election, he was the first Labour MP for the consitency in 18 years.

Hoyle served on the backbench for the entirety of his time as an MP. He has previously discussed his tensions with former Labour prime minister Tony Blair over issues such as tuition fees and Gibraltar: “I’m not anti-Tony; he made us electable and won three times. But there are principles and promises you don’t break,”

In 2010, Hoyle became deputy commons speaker, with many considering him a rising star in the role. In 2013, he won acclaim for shutting down jeering MPs during a budget debate.

Later, in 2017, he scolded SNP MPs for singing the European National Anthem in Commons – culminating in a heated clash with then-Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond.

In 2018, Hoyle was appointed a Knight Bachelor in the New Year Honours for political and parliamentary services

Life and education before parliament

Before becoming an MP, Hoyle was a Labour councillor in the Chorley Borough for the ward of Adlington. He remained in this position from 1980 until his election as an MP in 1997, serving for 27 years and being re-elected four times.

Hoyle was born and raised in Adlington, Lancashire. He attended primary school in the area and college in the nearby town of Bolton. Before his election as an MP, Hoyle ran his own textile and screen printing business.