In an embarrassing kickoff to the New Year, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has had to scramble to correct the record over an email sent to MPs that said the Palestinian flag would be flown over Parliament next week during meeting with the Palestinian ambassador and the Speaker. The email wasn’t exactly ambiguous…

The email sparked backlash from Policy Exchange’s Iain Mansfield, who tweeted:

“The UK does not recognise the state of Palestine. Should the Speaker be committing the entire House of Commons to such a controversial position on the current conflict? Is Speaker-led diplomacy really appropriate in this case?”

Speaker Hoyle has since denied that a meeting with the Palestinian ambassador will take place and has clarified that the flag will not be flown, with a spokesperson telling the Express that “A routine internal planning email was sent in error.” Double checking emails should be on the Commons’ New Year’s resolution list…

Last Thursday Hoyle blindsided some after publishing the House of Commons Commission’s “roadmap out of lockdown” without consultation, infuriating unions who said the return “should only happen when it safe to do so and when key stakeholders have had the chance to feed in”. Guido hears this uncharacteristic cock-up from Hoyle was more than an accidental slip-up.

Tension has risen between Mr Speaker and the Government over the timetable to return to normal, with Guido hearing a visibly tetchy Hoyle’s ire was raised when three Tory MPs used Rees-Mogg’s Thursday question session to criticise the current virtual Commons. Sources deny any sort of set-up…

While Hoyle is responsible for seeing staff return to Westminster, and the re-opening of catering, bars and services in the palace, it is the Government who decide whether remote Zoom questioning can continue. Hoyle’s roadmap made a thinly-disguised elbow-dig at the Commons leader:

“It is hoped proposals on whether virtual proceedings continue and when the House of Commons Chamber returns to normality – which are not matters for the Commission – will be unveiled at a later stage. These will follow the government’s review on social distancing and discussions between the Leader of the House and the Speaker.”

It looks like in his desire to pull the rug out from under Rees-Mogg’s feet by prematurely releasing his roadmap, Hoyle tripped himself up with the unions. This latest row mirrors what was reported last May, when he was again at odds with the Government over their desire to return to normal as quickly as possible.  Hoyle’s increasingly asserting himself in the Chamber and outside of it. He’s not anywhere near gone full Bercow – yet.

It seems Chris Philp let his temper get the better of him in the Commons yesterday. After (reluctantly) yielding his time at the despatch box, Guido thought he heard the Under Secretary for Justice mutter something less than respectful of the Speaker under his breath. The audio is slightly muffled, so Guido asks: what do you think he said?