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Alba Party MPs thrown out of Commons amid protest at start of PMQs

Kenny MacAskill and Neale Hanvey are now suspended from the House.

Richard Wheeler
Wednesday 13 July 2022 12:39 BST
Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle throws out Alba MPs Kenny MacAskill and Neale Hanvey at the start of Prime Minister’s Questions (House of Commons/PA)
Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle throws out Alba MPs Kenny MacAskill and Neale Hanvey at the start of Prime Minister’s Questions (House of Commons/PA) (PA Wire)

Two MPs were thrown out of the House of Commons after launching a protest at the start of Prime Minister’s Questions.

Alba Party pair Kenny MacAskill (East Lothian) and Neale Hanvey (Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath) were ordered to leave the chamber by Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle in furious scenes at the start of the session.

Mr MacAskill could be heard trying to raise a point of order and appeared to say “we need a referendum”, before he was drowned out by other MPs.

Kenny MacAskill has been thrown out of the House of Commons (PA) (PA Archive)

He then refused to sit down and continued to speak, prompting Sir Lindsay to act.

The Speaker said: “I will not tolerate such behaviour. If you want to go out, go out now.

“If you stand again, I will order you out. Make your mind up.”

Mr MacAskill rose to his feet again before Mr Hanvey also stood up and started speaking, but he could not be heard over the heckling from Tory MPs.

Neale Hanvey was drowned out by heckling from Tory MPs (PA) (PA Archive)

Sir Lindsay then named the pair, meaning they are suspended from the House.

He said: “Neale Hanvey, I’m now naming you and Kenny MacAskill to leave this chamber. Serjeant, deal with them.

“Out now, Serjeant-at-arms escort them out.”

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