The House of Commons: What is going on?

Chaos in the House of Commons during Gaza-ceasefire debate.

Erin Gilhespie
4th March 2024
Image credit: UK Parliament Flickr
Parliament erupted over calls for ceasefire in Gaza as Sir Lindsey Hoyle was accused of "playing party politics" to allow a Labour motion for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" in Gaza.

What actually happened?

An ‘Opposition Day’ is a chance for non-governing parties to present issues to other MPs in the Commons. Currently, there are twenty annual days of opposition, seventeen of which are given to the official Leader of the Opposition, and three are allocated to the leader of the second largest party - who shares the time with other smaller parties in the commons. 

The SNP tabled a motion that called for ‘immediate ceasefire‘ in Gaza, which sparked debate

Wednesday the 21st of February was therefore one of three annual opposition days allocated to the Scottish National Party (SNP), with the other seventeen being allocated to Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour Party. The SNP tabled a motion that called for ‘immediate ceasefire‘ in Gaza, which sparked debate.

On Opposition Day, only the government proposes  amendments to the proposition, as received by the speaker who would then call for a vote. This protocol is a vital part of functioning democracy, allowing for the SNP to exercise their mandate without interference from other opposition. 

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons, caused commotion by selecting both the Conservative government and the Labour Party’s proposed amendments to be voted on. Precedent was therefore broken, as one opposition party is not expected to alter another’s motion.

Disruption broke out amongst MPs, who jeered at the breaking of precedent. The Conservative Party pulled out of proceedings, and so did not formally vote on the issue. The Speaker allowed Labour’s amendment to be verbally approved amongst the disorder, and so there was no record of individual voting as would be expected - there were both SNP and Conservative lawmakers that left the house. 

There has been speculation around the meeting between Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Sir Keir Starmer prior to proceedings in the Commons, with Labour MPs being accused of filibustering in the chamber to allow Starmer ample time with the speaker. Starmer denies the allegations that he was wrongfully controlling the proceedings of Parliament, stating he ‘simply urged’ the speaker to allow a broad debate.

Opposition Days provide smaller parties with a legitimate voice that should not be imposed upon by more powerful parties. It is the role of the Speaker to follow precedent in order to protect the rights of our democracy.

It has been alluded to that the SNP tried to use their day as political leverage over the Labour party, who have been criticised for not giving a definitive position on the issues in Gaza. We cannot forget that on their day of Opposition, the SNP are well within their right to do this. The Labour Party may simply be retaliating against this; but critics have argued that it is a slippery slope for Starmer to take advantage of his relationship with the Speaker, also a member of the Labour Party.

The aftermath of the chaos that took place in the Commons has led to Prime Minister Rishi Sunk claims this event is 'concerning', as well as more than 60 MPs calling for Hoyle to resign.

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