The first real crisis of Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s time as Speaker was on full display as he was forced to apologise for how a debate on Gaza descended into chaos.
While he expressed regret for how his decision to allow a Labour amendment on the SNP’s ceasefire motion had angered MPs, he made clear it was motivated by a regard for their safety – an issue that’s become more pressing since the Israel-Hamas war broke out.
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Sky News has spent the day talking to MPs and their staff about their experiences – ranging from thousands of aggressive emails landing in their inboxes, to protests outside constituency offices that have left some so afraid that they have to work from home.
Ever since tensions over Brexit, MPs have been entitled to panic alarms in their constituency offices to notify the local police force if they are in danger.
And as part of Operation Bridger – activated following the murder of Tory backbencher Sir David Amess – police email staff every Monday to get an itinerary from each MP so they know their whereabouts and of any public-facing events.
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‘It’s starting to get him down’
One Labour staffer told us how they now felt like they acted as a “bodyguard” for their MP.
“I’ve started to walk him home, so I’m there to protect him,” they said.
“I walk five steps in front, and you do act as a bit of a bodyguard. I see it as part of the job now.”
The same staffer said the MP they worked for had now started to report tweets that labelled him a “fascist” with “blood on his hands”.
“I think it’s starting to get him down,” they said.
“Before the vote he warned us all on WhatsApp that social media and the parliamentary inbox would be ridiculous for the next 48 hours.”
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Death threats have ‘become normal’
Before the chaos in parliament unfolded yesterday, one MP told Sky News they had already received a death threat.
“We are all getting this – it’s become normal for most controversial votes now,” they said.
Last November, when Sir Keir Starmer suffered the resignation of eight shadow ministers who voted for an SNP motion calling for an immediate ceasefire, a protest was held outside the constituency office of one MP and the effigy of a body, along with body bags, was left outside.
At another constituency office, protesters have taken pictures and filmed staff entering and leaving the premises while directing verbal abuse at them.
The situation has become so serious that Labour staff members have been encouraged to apply for a safe gadget, also known as a lone worker gadget, which allows the user to notify police when they feel threatened.
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‘The fears of MPs are real’
Former minister and Tory MP Paul Scully said the “security fears of MPs were real” on Wednesday night, and as things grew more “febrile” in the Commons, there was “genuine anger” about what the consequences could be.
“I was pretty anxious when I left parliament last night,” he told Sky News.
“Last time there was a vote on a ceasefire, one of my colleagues in the Lords got really triggered by antisemitic abuse and three cameras being shoved in his face on a tube platform.
“The protests and abuse has just escalated.
“When things like last night happen in the Commons, it is just a tinderbox.”
‘Security has had to be increased’
Senior Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge told Sky News that Muslim MPs in her party were having a “terrible, terrible time” in particular, as rows over whether to back a ceasefire raged on – and voters wanted them to take a stand.
“Security has had to be increased and people have been more guarded,” she added.
But Dame Margaret backed Sir Lindsay’s attempts to widen the debate and his drive to make MPs’ safety a “priority”.
The Jewish MP said he “talked about it a lot in the early days” when he was deputy speaker, and he was “always the person to go to” when she faced antisemitic abuse during Jeremy Corbyn’s tenure leading the Labour Party.
“If you are going to have debate, shouldn’t you put it in context and let democracy prevail?” she added.
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‘He has given the impression of giving in to the mob’
However, former defence minister and Tory MP, Sir Alec Shelbrooke, said the Speaker’s actions should not be dictated by external forces.
“In my opinion, he has given in – or has given the impression that he has given in – to the rule of the mob,” he told Sky News.
“I believe he has made the lives of MPs less safe, which I categorically know was not his intention.”
Read more:
What happened in the Commons – and can the Speaker be sacked?
Consensus on ceasefire takes second place to political point-scoring
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Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran, whose mother is Palestinian, said she was subject to some racist comments after last night’s parliamentary display.
But she showed some sympathy for Sir Lindsay, telling Sky News he was “put in an impossible position by a purposefully divisive motion from the SNP”.
The MP said the “core issue” was “the lack of any co-ordination between opposition parties before the debate”, adding: “We tried to coordinate with the SNP, but they didn’t listen to us.
“We didn’t have any idea what Labour were going to do.
“And meanwhile we managed to make something so serious that affects not just Palestinians and Israelis but our streets as well into something about us.”
