A plot to get rid of the Speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, is under way. A motion of no confidence in Hoyle has gained 59 signatures from both Conservative and SNP MPs who were furious after he allowed a vote on Labour’s amendment to the SNP’s Gaza ceasefire motion. Such was the outrage that Hoyle, a former Labour MP, was forced to return to the chamber to offer an apology to the SNP for spoiling their opposition day. He was clearly unnerved by the anger of MPs and realised the gravity of the situation.
The government’s support is key to Hoyle retaining his job. In the chamber earlier today, Penny Mordaunt, the Leader of the House of Commons, did not call for Hoyle to resign. Instead, she blamed yesterday’s parliamentary chaos on bullying by Keir Starmer and Labour, accusing them of undermining “the reputation and honour of the decent man that sits in the Speaker’s chair”. This could allow Hoyle to survive.
Nonetheless, it seems unlikely that the government would fight hard to prevent Hoyle’s departure if a majority of MPs wanted him gone. Indeed, a government spokesperson said this was a matter for the Commons. The deciding factor, then, will be the extent to which MPs who want him gone can pile on the pressure, and, crucially, convince Labour MPs and senior figures in the House to join their campaign.
The manner in which Hoyle took over as Speaker from John Bercow in 2019 is also important. Bercow was deeply unpopular because he was widely thought to have let his ego and opposition to Brexit dictate how he managed parliamentary votes on the relationship with the EU. The expectation – and Hoyle’s promise to MPs – was that the Speaker would restore the chair’s reputation for impartiality. Hence the anger when he was perceived to renege on that yesterday.
Fifty-nine MPs calling for him to go is significant. One of Hoyle’s predecessors, Michael Martin, resigned in 2009 after 22 MPs demanded his resignation. One key difference between then and now was that Martin lost the confidence of some Labour MPs (despite, like Hoyle, being a former Labour MP himself) and he had been tarnished by his handling of the expenses scandal.
If Hoyle is forced out, who would replace him? One unexpected candidate could be William Wragg. The 36-year-old Conservative parliamentarian has said he will stand down at the next general election. But he remains popular with MPs on both sides of the aisle and is well-respected for his knowledge of procedure and respect for parliamentary traditions. Oh, and the no-confidence motion is in his name.
[See also: The Cameron effect]
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