Even if Speaker goes, nothing will change

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Lesley Riddoch: If the SNP don’t want to disengage, what now?

Sending representatives to what even Alyn Smith describes as a sick pantomime only leaves the cause of independence stuck in neutral. It’s hardly a secret that the most fertile ground for winning over the numbers needed to show definitive settled support for indy is among those that remain faithful to Labour. We will struggle to change that constituency’s mindset for as long as indy parties keep selling the fantasy that Westminster is, by any measure, responsive to the view from north of the Border. Indeed, pretending it’s so only helps Starmer’s party.

The SNP group has achieved nothing in the last decade by rocking up at Westminster, unless you are prepared to swallow the line about “making our voices heard”. Isn’t it odd that Sinn Fein is able to successfully communicate its message to its compatriots without travelling to London? So what if Flynn eventually causes Hoyle to be unseated – as Lesley Riddoch says, nothing will change. Westminster is England’s club and Scotland will always be, at best, an associate member. Kenzie Garnier Stewart

I don’t see the example of Sinn Fein as being comparable with that of the SNP, at this moment in time. Sinn Fein absenting themselves from Westminster was done after they won the majority of Ireland’s seats in the 1918 General Election.

They went into that election on a pledge not to take up seats at Westminster, but to set up an assembly in Dublin instead, basically declaring their intention to declare UDI. They declared this pledge prior to going into that election and they won 75 of the 105 Irish seats.

As for Sinn Fein’s abstention from Westminster today – well they’ve won already, there is no reason for them to attend as they already have an independent republic and an international treaty, signed up to by the UK, that sets out that reunification of Ireland will happen when the people of the North vote for it in a border poll.

What now? Show up the two rotten parties that are capable of forming a UK government for what they are – led by powerhungry middle managers with no ambition for Scotland other than to plunder our resources.

Thom Muir

Easiest protest is simply to resume clapping. Every time Hoyle brays about rules – rub his nose in it.

Derek Carstairs

Always start the session with a loud shout of: “Can I have a quiet word before we get started, Mr Speaker?” Or: “Point of order, Mr Speaker. In line with the new parliamentary rules, can we speed up the debate and just go straight to voting on the amendments?”

Alistair Potter

If Hoyle stays and the SNP accept it, they are a busted flush. Fred Bambrick