UK Parliament is in turmoil after a debate over a Gaza cease-fire raised fears for lawmakers’ safety

By DANICA KIRKA
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — The chaotic debate over a cease-fire in Gaza reverberated through Britain’s Parliament as the speaker of the House of Commons faced calls to resign and lawmakers said they feared for their safety amid pressure from all sides of the issue. More than six hours of sometimes heated debate was held on Wednesday. Both the governing Conservative Party and the Scottish National Party refused to participate in voting on the question. That left the main opposition Labour Party with the largely hollow victory of passing its version of a nonbinding motion calling for an “immediate humanitarian” cease-fire unopposed. Anger over the way the debate unfolded led to more than 50 lawmakers submitting letters of no confidence in Speaker Lindsay Hoyle on Thursday.