The sergeants-at-arms were enlisted to help escort 2 M.P.’s out of question period.
On July 13, 2022, the U.K. House of Commons sat for the question period, and tempers flared with verbal attacks against the outgoing Prime Minister and members of the Scottish party. During the first few minutes of the session, members broke out in chaos. There was a lot of noise in the gallery, and members misbehaved. In the first three minutes, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle tried to regain control of the room, shouting “order” and even yelling at the crowd to shut up.
The two members causing the disturbance were members of the Scottish Alba party. This party is relatively new, having been formed in 2021. This party’s primary focus is on Scottish Nationalism and pro-independence. In the recent weeks leading up to this House of Commons meeting, there has been increased talk about how the First Minister of Scotland is keen on putting forth another referendum. This could be a possible reason the party began to cause mayhem at the session.
Speaker Hoyle declared that he would “Not tolerate such behavior” and that the members had the choice to settle down or leave. The party members did neither, which led to Speaker Hoyle naming the two members of the Alba Party, Neale Hanvey, and Kenney MacAskill who were then forced to leave the chamber. The sergeants-at-arms were enlisted to help escort the M.P.’s out of question period.
The House of Commons is the legislative authority of the United
Kingdoms’ government. The Commons is where laws are enacted, money is dealt with, and government services are debated. The Speaker of the Commons is appointed by parliament and is the one who keeps order, regulates the debates, and breaks ties when needed.
The House of Commons meetings are designed for conversation. The events that took place on July 13 were during the Prime Minister Question section. During this time, ministers can ask questions about their department. This format is used to spark debates and discussions on topics that may have been missed. However, this time it created tension and ended with two members being forced to leave.
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