Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s position as House of Commons Speaker looked ever more precarious on Tuesday night as a motion to oust him gathered strength.
The number of MPs backing a motion of no-confidence in the Speaker reached 86 after all three Plaid Cymru members added their names to the list.
It was the first time Plaid Cymru MPs have signed the Early Day Motion (EDM)
The Party’s Westminster leader Liz Saville said: “Despite having promised an emergency debate to the SNP, you have since reneged on that promise.”
It added: “I thank you for your willingness to meet with me to discuss our concerns on Monday. From our discussion, however, it was clear that no changes would be considered to protect the role of smaller parties or to safeguard a diversity of voices in Parliament.”
The EDM came after Sir Lindsay refused an emergency motion by the SNP for another debate on a ceasefire in Gaza, drawing more fierce criticism from the party’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn.
Furore erupted last week when Sir Lindsay allowed a Labour amendment to be voted on during an SNP debate on calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.
It meant the SNP’s own motion was not voted on.
His decision was met with calls for him to resign as speaker from some SNP and Conservative MPs, with Sir Lindsay apologising to the SNP at the time for his handling of the issue.
In addition to the three Welsh nationalists, 45 Conservative MPs, 37 members of the SNP and one independent member have signed the no confidence motion.
In 2009, Speaker Michael Martin was effectively forced to resign over his handling of the MPs’ expenses scandal, the first Speaker to be forced out in more than 300 years.
On that occasion, only 23 MPs signed an “unprecedented” motion calling for him to step down, which he did only days after the motion was published.
But while fewer MPs signed the 2009 motion, signatories came from all three main parties and a succession of other backbenchers from across the Commons publicly told Mr Martin to resign.
