Tory and SNP anger as speaker allows Labour’s amendment on Gaza ceasefire vote – UK politics live | Politics
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- February 21, 2024
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Boost for Starmer as Commons speaker says he will allow vote on Labour’s amendment on Gaza motion
The 10-minute rule bill motion has been defeated, by 81 votes to 63.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle says he second motion on the order paper will not be moved (ie, the SNP motion on green investment).
He says he has selected both the Labour and the government amendments, because this is an issue where MPs want to consider a wide range of options.
This is very good news for Keir Starmer, who was otherwise facing a huge revolt.
Key events
What Hoyle said about his decision on amendments, and how voting will work
This is what the speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, about his decision on amendments, and how the voting will work.
I think it is important on this occasion that the house is able to consider the widest possible range of options. I have therefore decided to select the amendments both in the name of the prime minister and in the name of the leader of the opposition, because the operation of standing order 31 will prevent another amendment being moved after the government has moved its amendment.
I will exceptionally call the opposition frontbench spokesperson to move their amendment at the beginning of the debate.
At the end of the debate the house will have an opportunity to take a decision on the official opposition amendment.
If that is agreed to, there is a final question on the main motion as amended [which would be the Labour text].
If the official opposition amended is not agreed to, I will call the minister to move the government amendment forward. That will engage the provisions of standing order 31, so the next vote would be on the original words in the SNP motion.
If that is not agreed to, then the house will have the opportunity to vote on the government amendment.
Proceeding this way will allow a vote to take place potentially on all proposals from each of the three main parties.
Christopher Hope from GB News says No 10 is not happy about the speaker’s ruling.
Figures in Number 10 are upset about speaker Lyndsay Hoyle selecting Labour’s Opposition Day debate amendment on the Gaza ceasefire.
One tells me “it’s without precedent”. A minister says selecting Labour’s amendment is “Bercowesque”.
Figures in Number 10 are upset about speaker Lyndsay Hoyle selecting Labour’s Opposition Day debate amendment on the Gaza ceasefire.
One tells me “it’s without precedent”. A minister says selecting Labour’s amendment is “Bercowesque”.— Christopher Hope📝 (@christopherhope) February 21, 2024
Owen Thompson, the SNP chief whip, rises to make a point of order. He complains that this is unfair on the SNP.
That is because the vote on the Labour amendment will come first. If it is passed, the SNP motion as originally drafted will not be put to a vote.
Hoyle says he will be publishing a statement explaining his position.
UPDATE: This post originally said the Labour amendment was likely to pass. But looking closely at what Hoyle said (see 1.54pm), it is clear that the government motion will only be put to a vote if the Labour one has been voted down. That means the government has a clear incentive to vote against Labour’s wording.
Also, if the government can knock out the Labour amendment, that would lead to a vote on the original SNP motion – which will trigger a Labour revolt (because some MPs would support it). That is a second reason why the Tory whips have a reason for voting against the Labour wording – even though in practice it is hard to detect much difference between the government’s position and Labour’s.
Hoyle says he will publish a note explaning his reasoning.
And he says current rules are too restrictive.
As he concludes his statement, there are loud protests from MPs.
Boost for Starmer as Commons speaker says he will allow vote on Labour’s amendment on Gaza motion
The 10-minute rule bill motion has been defeated, by 81 votes to 63.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle says he second motion on the order paper will not be moved (ie, the SNP motion on green investment).
He says he has selected both the Labour and the government amendments, because this is an issue where MPs want to consider a wide range of options.
This is very good news for Keir Starmer, who was otherwise facing a huge revolt.
From Kiran Stacey
I’m told the Speaker is still in his room deciding on how to handle this afternoon’s Gaza debate. If he doesn’t allow a vote on Labour’s amendment, some in the party think there could be as many as *90* Labour rebels.
— Kiran Stacey (@kiranstacey) February 21, 2024
Just as I posted that the Speaker came back into the chamber. A decision must be imminent.
— Kiran Stacey (@kiranstacey) February 21, 2024
These are from the SNP MP Alison Thewliss on the delays in the chamber.
Labour now delaying the Gaza debate with fifteen minutes of spurious points of order. Utterly pathetic.
— Alison Thewliss 🧡 (@alisonthewliss) February 21, 2024
Labour now delaying the Gaza debate with fifteen minutes of spurious points of order. Utterly pathetic.
And now Labour moving an opposing speech to a Ten Minute Rule Bill. And presumably a vote.
All to eat up time and delay us getting to a debate on people dying in Gaza.
This place is an absolute nonsense.
— Alison Thewliss 🧡 (@alisonthewliss) February 21, 2024
And now Labour moving an opposing speech to a Ten Minute Rule Bill. And presumably a vote.
All to eat up time and delay us getting to a debate on people dying in Gaza.
This place is an absolute nonsense.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the speaker, has now taken the chair in the Commons.
The result of the division on the 10-minute rule bill motion is about to be announced.
No 10 won’t say when UK last had successful Trident missile test
At the post-PMQs lobby briefing Downing Street would not say when the last successful Trident missile test occurred, PA Media reports. PA says:
The prime minister’s spokesperson told reporters that the UK government had “complete confidence” in Britain’s nuclear deterrent despite reports of a Trident missile test failure on 30 January.
He repeated the Ministry of Defence’s explanation that there had been an “anomaly” but said, for national security reasons, he was unable to expand on what that meant. Asked how the government could offer such assurances given the last test in 2016 also resulted in a misfire, the spokesperson said: “There really isn’t much more I can add on the technical issues. The purpose of this operation was a full two-month period of exercises which successfully validated the submarine and the crew. There was this specific anomaly but we are confident that the anomaly was specific to the test and that there are no wider implications.”
Asked when the last successful Trident missile test was, the spokesperson said: “I can’t provide any more commentary on matters of national security.”
He said he would not comment on whether Mr Sunak wanted to see a follow-up test after last month’s failed attempt.
Nicholas Watt from Newsnight suggests Labour MPs are spinning out proceedings in the chamber for a reason; they are still trying to get the speaker to agree to their party’s amendment on Gaza.
Negotiations with @CommonsSpeaker on Labour Gaza amendment taking time, according to one senior source familiar with discussions, because advice from clerks is clear: precedent would suggest calling SNP motion and government amendment. So not calling Labour amendment
— Nicholas Watt (@nicholaswatt) February 21, 2024
Negotiations with @CommonsSpeaker on Labour Gaza amendment taking time, according to one senior source familiar with discussions, because advice from clerks is clear: precedent would suggest calling SNP motion and government amendment. So not calling Labour amendment
Watt also says, if the Labour amendment is accepted, there will be a row.
A cabinet minister tells me there will be a whole host of problems if the commons speaker calls the Labour amendment. They believe it will break with precedent
— Nicholas Watt (@nicholaswatt) February 21, 2024
A cabinet minister tells me there will be a whole host of problems if the commons speaker calls the Labour amendment. They believe it will break with precedent
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