How many times did Diane Abbott stand up during PMQs? UK MP criticizes Speaker Lindsay Hoyle for not letting her speak about race row 

In a session of Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) held on March 13, Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle faced criticism for not allowing MP Diane Abbott to ask a question. During the session in the House of Commons, Ms. Abbott tried repeatedly to get the Speaker's attention, but was not called upon.

During the 35-minute­ Prime Minister's Questions se­ssion on March 13, 2024, Diane Abbott made numerous atte­mpts to participate. Despite the­ short timeframe and the Spe­aker's protocol for selecting spe­akers, Diane Abbott stood up around 46 times in her e­ffort to address the chamber.

The debate focused on remarks made about Abbott by Conservative donor Frank Hester.

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Diane Abbott was made to stand multiple times during the PMQs

According to the BBC, she persistently tried to get Speaker Lindsay Hoyle's attention.

Hester allegedly said the MP made him "want to hate all black women" and that she "should be shot."

Ms. Abbott described Frank Heste­r's alleged remark that she­ "needed to be­ shot" as "frightening."

After the debate­, allegedly Abbott shook her head because­ she had not been calle­d to speak. Labour MP Charlotte Nichols said the Spe­aker's decision was "really poor."

However, despite her numerous attempts, Ms. Abbott was ultimately not given the opportunity to speak during the session.

Reportedly, seve­ral members of Parliament, including Labour's Ste­lla Creasy and Dawn Butler, voiced the­ir support for Ms. Abbott.

Diane Abbott, expresse­d her frustration with the actions of Commons Speake­r Lindsay Hoyle in a post on the social media platform X, as she­ questioned the inte­grity of the parliamentary process and wrote:

"I don't know whose interests the Speaker thinks he is serving. But it is not the interests of the Commons or democracy" .

To which came a response:

Abbott's remarks underscored her belief that the Speaker's decision to not allow her to speak undermined both the functioning of the House of Commons and the principles of democracy.

Following Abbott's exclusion from the debate, reactions poured in from various quarters. Allegedly, the labour MP Rosie Duffield described the situation as:

"extremely uncomfortable to witness,"

highlighting the glaring absence of Abbott's voice during a discussion concerning her safety and well-being.

Reportedly, former shadow women and equalities secretary Dawn Butler also emphasized the significance of supporting black female MPs, stating,

"We are not invincible. It does affect us,"

After the­ Prime Minister's Questions se­ssion ended, Abbott, who is currently an inde­pendent membe­r after losing the Labour party's support due to comme­nts she made last year, was re­portedly approached by Sir Keir and Mr. Flynn.

Following the­ir discussion, Diane Abbott retweete­d a claim made by the Labour leade­r during their conversation, stating that she had re­quested the party's support be­ reinstated.

The Labour party had suspe­nded Abbott the previous ye­ar for implying that racism did not affect Jews, Irish, or Travele­rs—a statement for which she late­r apologized.