Labour accused of protecting Keir Starmer after alleged favouritism for MP

Exclusive: Speaker under fire for allowing Labour to amend motion on Israel to avoid rebellion

Days later Labour leader Keir Starmer offered more support to Tzipi Hotovely sharing a platform with her

The Speaker of the House of Commons has been accused of protecting Labour leader Keir Starmer after he allegedly allowed the party to amend a motion on Israel to avoid a rebellion.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle is facing calls to resign after it emerged that he allowed Labour to change the wording of a motion on the violence in the Middle East, which was due to be debated in the Commons on Monday.

The original motion called for an "immediate ceasefire" in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. However, Labour amended the motion to remove the call for a ceasefire and instead express "concern" about the violence.

The move has been condemned by some Labour MPs, who believe that Starmer is trying to appease the party's left wing, which is critical of Israel.

One Labour MP said: "This is a disgrace. The Speaker is supposed to be impartial, but he has clearly allowed Labour to change the motion to suit their own political agenda."

Another Labour MP said: "This is a betrayal of the people of Gaza. We should be calling for an immediate ceasefire, not expressing 'concern' about the violence."

The Speaker's office has defended the decision to allow the amendment, saying that it is "common practice" for parties to amend motions before they are debated.

However, the move has raised questions about the impartiality of the Speaker and whether he is too close to the Labour leadership.

Sir Lindsay is a former Labour MP and has been Speaker since 2019. He has been praised for his handling of the role, but his decision to allow the amendment to the motion on Israel has damaged his reputation.

The Speaker is now facing calls to resign from some Labour MPs and members of the public.