Call for probe into Keir’s ‘ bullying’ in Gaza debate
sir Keir starmer is under pressure to dispel claims he ‘bullied’ the Commons speaker by publishing full details of their conversations in the run-up to last month’s vote on Gaza.
Former Tory Cabinet minister sir Liam Fox said Parliament had a duty to investigate ‘not if, but how’ sir Keir ‘pressurised the speaker into setting a terrible precedent’ by allowing the Labour leader to hijack an sNP debate on Gaza in order to cover up divisions in his own party.
Writing in the Daily Mail, sir Liam says: ‘The Labour Party hope that we have all forgotten about the incident and will quietly let it drop... but we need to know how the speaker’s ruling came about.
‘Who did the speaker meet with, and when in the run-up to the debate on Gaza? Were all the rules followed equally for each party, with officials in attendance to keep a record? What, exactly, was said?’
sir Liam adds: ‘Only then can Parliament take a view on whether the matter needs to be examined more formally.’ sir Lindsay Hoyle caused uproar last month when he tore up Commons rules to allow Labour MPs to vote on their own amendment on Gaza during what was meant to be an sNP debate calling for an immediate ceasefire.
Parliamentary sources say that sir Keir gatecrashed a meeting between sir Lindsay and Labour’s chief whip just minutes before the speaker’s controversial ruling. Commons clerks are said to have been asked to leave the meeting.
sir Keir has ‘categorically’ denied putting pressure on sir Lindsay to change the rules on his behalf.
And sir Lindsay said he had acted to allow MPs the ‘widest possible’ debate. But sir Liam points out today that he rejected a bid from the Liberal Democrats to debate its own amendment.
More than 90 MPs have called on sir Lindsay to resign over the issue. But sir Liam says today it is now time to turn scrutiny on the Labour leader, who could ultimately face an investigation by Parliament’s sleaze watchdog.