Leader: We must protect both our Parliament and MPs

A clearer picture is emerging of what led to the chaotic scenes in the House of Commons on Wednesday over the SNP’s debate on a ceasefire in Gaza.

The SNP lodged a motion worded in a way that would have split Labour, with many of its MPs likely to have voted against leader Sir Keir Starmer.

The Labour leadership made it known to Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle that those of its MPs who did not vote with the SNP motion faced threats to their personal safety.

This led Sir Lindsay to throw out parliamentary convention and allow MPs to vote on the Labour motion, thereby allowing the party’s MPs to both vote for a ceasefire and not rebel against Sir Keir.

House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle apologised after overturning convention on an SNP motion brought by the SNP on a ceasefire in Gaza. Credit: Getty/Adobe/Kim Mogg

Following an outcry from the SNP and Tory benches, the Speaker, to his credit, acknowledged he had made a mistake and apologised to the Nationalists and the House.

However it would seem Sir Lindsay’s mistake was one made out of noble intentions, namely to protect the security of MPs.

Since the chaotic scenes on Wednesday evening, further evidence has emerged of concerns around MPs’ safety, with reports of female politicians being given taxpayer-funded bodyguards and cars.

Lisa Nandy, Labour’s Shadow cabinet minister for international development, yesterday revealed she has security at her home and carries a police alarm everywhere, describing this as a “typical experience” for MPs.

Clearly, we cannot allow intimidation and threats of violence to disrupt our democratic process.

But we must also be conscious of the reality of the security concerns surrounding the safety of our MPs.

The SNP will present another motion this week. The parties must work together on the wording in order to reach a position around which they can build a consensus and avoid a repeat of last week’s chaos.

It is imperative that we protect both the integrity of our parliamentary process and the safety of our elected representatives.

If parties cam display willingness to work together, these two things need not be mutually exclusive.