Police have launched an investigation into a scuffle as pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted a meeting of Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s local council.
The incident at Chorley Council, which took place on Tuesday evening, comes as Sir Lindsay faces criticism over his handling of a debate on Gaza in the House of Commons. Sir Lindsay is the MP for Chorley.
The Telegraph newspaper reported that a group of demonstrators disrupted the meeting by calling for a ceasefire and chanting in anger at the council not formally debating such a motion.
A confrontation then broke out after one councillor manhandled a protester towards the door.
A Lancashire Police spokesperson told the paper: “We have received a complaint of an assault at an event in Chorley yesterday evening [February 27] and an investigation is underway.
“No arrests have been made at this stage and enquiries are ongoing.”
Protesters gathered as the council met to pass its budget. Footage of the incident showed around a dozen protesters in the hall, with around a further 20 in a spill-over room.
Peter Wilson, deputy leader of the Labour group on the council, questioned the protesters’ behaviour.
“Everyone is entitled to their view, everyone is entitled to protest. You can come to a council meeting and make your point,” he said.
“But you can’t just disrupt the meeting entirely.”
Parliament last week descended into chaos when Sir Lindsay decided to allow a Labour amendment to an SNP motion on a ceasefire in Gaza to go to a vote.
He said he broke with precedent in his handling of the proceedings because he had concerns about the intimidation suffered by some parliamentarians and wanted to give MPs the widest possible range of options for the vote.
But the backlash to his actions, which spared Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer from the prospect of a damaging revolt by MPs demanding a ceasefire, has left his own position in jeopardy, with 92 MPs now signed up to a motion of no confidence.
