Speaking in the House of Commons Thursday, the SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said that his party “does not have confidence in your ability to continue.” He asked Hoyle how to press for a vote to remove him from his position.
The SNP motion at the heart of the row had called for an “immediate” cease-fire in Gaza. While a symbolic move, it was designed to show support in the Commons for a cease-fire, and posed a headache for Labour.
Hoyle broke with precedent and allowed Labour to put forward its own amendment to the motion — still calling for a cease-fire, but tempering criticism of Israel’s conduct in the war.
That spared Labour a potential rebellion — and deprived the SNP of a chance to vote on its own motion on.
Hoyle, who appeared taken aback by the scale of the opposition to his move on Wednesday night, again apologized Thursday.
But, responding to Flynn in the Commons, he said he had been motivated by a desire to protect MPs from intimidation by allowing the broadest range of views on the conflict to be expressed.
