Lights. Camera. Lindsay! Speaker’s show lands Starmer with yet another headache | John Crace

It seemed like a fait accompli that Hoyle would deny the application for a Commons vote – but he had other ideas What the hell has Keir Starmer done to upset the speaker? Was it that row they had after prime minister’s questions a few weeks back, when Keir appeared to have taken objection to Lindsay Hoyle’s ad libbed remarks about not being responsible for Starmer not answering any of the questions? Has Hoyle finally had enough of the government announcing policy decisions in press conferences and media briefings, rather than in statements to the House of Commons? Or is Lindsay just a bit bored? Perhaps he has decided to liven things up a bit in the dog days of the current parliament. Go out with a bang. Place himself centre stage. Lights. Camera. Action. Take your pick. Whichever it is, Hoyle has just landed Starmer with a headache he would rather have avoided. One that he didn’t see coming. Lindsay was brief and to the point with his statement at the beginning of Monday’s proceedings in the Commons. Several honourable and right honourable members had written to him, he began. Including the leader of the opposition. So far, so normal. MPs are always writing to the speake