THE SNP are set to join efforts to launch fresh action against Keir Starmer and Lindsay Hoyle after claims of intimidation in the Gaza ceasefire vote earlier this year.
Speaker Hoyle caused outrage in February when he broke Commons precedent, allowing Labour to avoid voting on the SNP’s ceasefire motion and ultimately helping Keir Starmer to avoid another Commons rebellion over the subject.
Claims that Starmer threatened Hoyle’s job ahead of the incident later emerged, though the Labour chief has denied these allegations.
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Nearly 100 MPs have signed a no-confidence motion in the Speaker – but a bid to have the issue referred to the Privileges Committee failed.
Hoyle has caused further outrage since the incident. He had told the SNP that they would have another opportunity to put forward a ceasefire motion, but this was not followed up on.
Then, he refused to take Diane Abbott at PMQs – despite MPs on all sides debating racist comments made about her. The MP stood to ask a question 46 times.
Now, The Times reports that a group of SNP and Tory MPs have presented a new motion which would, if successful, refer Starmer and Hoyle for investigation.
Penny Mordaunt, the Leader of the House of Commons, has reportedly signalled her support for the effort – which would help the motion be brought to the floor.
A Labour source was furious about the bid and told The Times: “The deputy speakers, who are a majority Conservative MPs, looked at this and dismissed it. That is the correct process.
“What we’re now seeing is Penny Mordaunt taking advantage of Rishi Sunak’s weakness to try and boost her standing with Tory backbenchers by continuing to push this. Meanwhile the government isn’t making time for the issues that matter to voters.”
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Responding to the revelations on Twitter/X, SNP MP Joanna Cherry said it was "excellent news".
"The skulduggery that went on here to subvert the normal rules & procedures of the House of Commons needs a proper independent investigation," she wrote.
The House of Commons is on Easter recess until April 15.
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