Chaos Erupts In The UK Parliament Over Voting For Gaza Ceasefire
Chaos ensues as UK lawmakers attempt to vote for Gaza ceasefire.
Image Source: The Jerusalem Post
Dozens of British lawmakers stormed out of the UK Parliament on Wednesday. The reason for this outrage was that the three biggest political parties were vying for a win in the Gaza ceasefire vote.
The speaker overlooked the precedent and allowed lawmakers to cast a vote. This decision was in favor of the opposition Labour Party. It allowed the Labour Party to avoid a rebellion among its lawmakers on taking a stance for the Israel-Hamas war.
The governing Conservatives and the oppositional Scottish National Party left the debating chambers. They also made the rare attempt to hold private proceedings.
Lindsay Hoyle, who is the speaker, apologized for the chaos. He states that he allowed lawmakers to vote on various issues because he was concerned about their security. The lawmakers have received violent threats in the past based on their stance on the war.
The Labour Party is likely to win the national election this year. However, the party faces internal strife concerning the October 7 attacks and the following war.
The Scottish National Party initiated the debate in Parliament by calling for an immediate ceasefire. The Labour and Conservative Parties have publicly backed Israel while expressing concern over their actions in Gaza. The two parties later suggested proposing amendments with different conditions before declaring a ceasefire.
Hoyle took the initiative to select these two amendments. It is unusual and deviates from precedent, as an opposing party cannot alter motions. In these cases, they choose the government amendment.
A few of the lawmakers in Parliament were upset with his decision. They accused Hoyle, a former Labour Party lawmaker, of instigating a constitutional crisis.
Penny Mordaunt, the leader of the House of Commons, states that Hoyle has undermined Parliament. Hence, the government is pulling out of the proceedings.
Hoyle’s decision to allow lawmakers to cast votes meant the Labour Party could easily vote for their plan. Thus, they could avoid defying their leadership by supporting the Scottish National Party motion.
In the chaos, the Labour Party amendment was approved verbally without a formal vote. It is out of the norm since they record the views of each lawmaker individually. By not recording several lawmakers, there were demands to vote again.
The outcome of this session is not legally binding for Britain. Israel and Hamas will also not monitor this situation. However, it will pose questions for Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party.
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