Chris Green MP: ​house brought into disrepute through ceasefire debate in Parliament

​Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, triggered the worst scenes I have ever witnessed in the House of Commons. It was so bad that the well respected Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, twice had to profusely apologise for the dreadful farce in the heart of our democracy.

Labour tore an important debate away from peace in the Middle East to a self-indulgent and self-serving political stunt which will be used to break up the United Kingdom.

The Government dominates Parliamentary process and the debates that take place. For twenty days a year, the second and third biggest political parties have what is known as an Opposition Day Debate.

They get to set the agenda and hold a debate on their terms on a motion of their choice.

Labour have 17 opportunities and the SNP just three. They are always used as politically divisively as possible and, whilst Conservatives often grumble about the outcome, we accept that it is a necessary part of our democracy.

The Opposition Day Party puts forward a motion and the Government challenges and amends the motion.

The SNP had a straightforward motion for debate which can be summed up as “we demand an immediate, complete and permanent ceasefire in Gaza”. Labour rejected this and had a gesture towards a ceasefire but was all about political posturing rather than holding a genuinely clear position.

The Conservative Government is negotiating with partners in the Middle East and our amendment reflected the reality of the difficulties in working towards the peace we so desperately need.

Before the debate even started, it was clear that someone was up to no good and it was later reported that Sir Keir Starmer had a meeting with the Speaker to bully or manipulate him into breaking the normal rules of the House of Commons.

It was such an awful breach of the Standing Orders that House officials were forced out of the meeting and the Clerk of the House wrote a damning letter to say that he opposed the decision that Sir Keir manipulated.

This may all seem rather esoteric but it is vitally important for the health of our democracy.

Following any election, the Government naturally dominate but the opposition parties must still have the ability to test the will of the House.

We did not have an honest vote on Gaza and the Labour shadow Leader of the House gloated that everyone had backed them. The deputy Speaker who allowed this part of proceeding just happens to be a former Labour deputy Chief Whip.

The SNP now have a legitimate grievance that Westminster dismisses their MPs which will fuel their independence movement and a vote, enabled by the Speaker and one of his deputies, is a lie.

Sir Keir manipulated the Speaker, to his bitter regret, into bringing the House of Commons into disrepute, Labour celebrates this fact and then think that they are fit for Government.