How the Gaza conflict is contorting UK politics

The two biggest political parties at Westminster and Parliament itself are finding themselves buckled, bent and contorted by the furious arguments provoked by the Israel-Gaza war.

For the Conservatives, the Lee Anderson row about Islamophobia.

For Parliament, the Commons Speaker row about a ceasefire and parliamentary procedure.

And for Labour, the Rochdale row about antisemitism and the by-election there in a few days.

The prime minister's week began with a trio of BBC local radio interviews, where alongside questions about spending on transport projects in the north of England he was inevitably asked about his former deputy chairman's remarks.

It's only a few weeks back that Rishi Sunak and Mr Anderson were doing a t campaign video.

Now Mr Sunak is distancing himself from Mr Anderson.

But the prime minister, like his deputy, is not describing what Lee Anderson said as Islamophobic.

In fact, a row about that very word has broken out within the Conservative Party, with former chairman Baroness Warsi at loggerheads with the Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch over it.

Next, the Speaker of the Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle starts the week with the third biggest party, the SNP, saying it doesn't have confidence in him.

And Conservative MPs' WhatsApp groups are inflamed too, I hear, the sentiment of many being "how can we ever trust him again":[]}