Why was Diane Abbott not picked to question Rishi Sunak?

Diane Abbott is one of the UK's best-known politicians. She was first elected to Parliament for Labour in 1987, becoming the UK's first black woman MP.

And this week, she's been at the centre of a huge controversy after Frank Hester - a businessman who has given £10m to the Conservative Party - allegedly said she made him want to "hate all black women" and "should be shot".

The comments shocked MPs on all sides and were condemned as "racist" by Rishi Sunak (although he will not be handing the money back).

Not surprisingly, the row dominated Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.

But despite standing up more than 40 times - the way MPs signal they want to ask a question in Parliament - she was not picked to question the PM.

At the end of the session, Ms Abbott shrugged her shoulders in exasperation, while MPs around her appeared to express their surprise.

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She then took to the social media site X to protest that she didn't get her say.

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

Labour MP for Birmingham Erdington Paulette Hamilton agreed, telling the BBC: "Considering there was a group of white men standing up, talking about another member, absolutely, she should have been allowed to have her say."

Posting on social media, Kim Johnson, Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, said: "Diane Abbott deserved the right to speak for herself about the racism she experienced from top Tory donor Frank Hester - not just be spoken about.

"More than disappointing that the Speaker didn't call her, despite her indicating almost 40 times."

Another Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy said it was "fundamentally wrong that Diane Abbott was denied the opportunity to speak for herself at PMQs about the vile racism she has faced".

So why wasn't Ms Abbott picked?

The reason is largely to do with the rules that govern the House of Commons.

Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle is in charge of keeping order in the House of Commons

Prime Minister's Questions take place every Wednesday, when Parliament is sitting, at midday.

MPs can apply in advance of the session to ask a question.

However, because there is rarely time to fit in everyone, a computer program decides at random which MPs will get their chance.

Those picked in the ballot will be prioritised.

But the Speaker has something else to think about.

He needs to make sure that the MPs he picks alternate between being from the governing party (the Conservatives) and being from the opposition (everyone else).

On Wednesday, only four of the MPs randomly selected were from the Conservatives - that meant that Sir Lindsay had to select other Tories to ensure the session was balanced.

"His hands were tied," veteran Conservative MP David Davis said, arguing that the Speaker could not pick an extra opposition MP to speak given how many had been drawn in the ballot.

He added that Ms Abbott had been an MP for more than 30 years and would know how the rules work.

Ruth Fox, director of the Hansard Society which carries out research into Parliament, said that while the Speaker does have to ensure balance he also has discretion over who to call or for how long Prime Minister's Questions should go on.

She argued Sir Lindsay could have explained to MPs that he would pick Ms Abbott, even though she wasn't on the official list, because she had been the subject of so much discussion.

"I think he misread the mood of the House. He failed to recognise the unusual and exceptional circumstances."

She suggested the Speaker had been "unduly cautious" given what happened the last time he tried to be flexible with procedure.

Ms Fox added that Ms Abbott could have used a parliamentary move - called a point of order - to speak immediately after Prime Minister's Questions. However, she said this would have been "unsatisfactory" as points of order get far less attention than PMQs.

Diane Abbott sitting alongside Paul Boateng, Bernie Grant, Keith Vaz in 1987

Following criticism, Sir Lindsay's spokesperson said: "During Prime Minister's Questions, the Speaker must select MPs from either side of the House on an alternating basis for fairness.

"This takes place within a limited timeframe, with the chair prioritising members who are already listed on the Order Paper.

"This week - as is often the case - there was not enough time to call all members who wanted to ask a question."

Of course, since last year Ms Abbott has been an independent MP, having been suspended by Labour.

The party withdrew the whip from Ms Abbott for saying in a letter to the Observer that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people were not subject to racism "all their lives". She withdrew her remarks and apologised "for any anguish caused".

The MP may not have been picked in Prime Minister's Questions but she has been able to have her voice heard in the newspapers - she has written pieces for the Guardian and the Independent as well as making her feelings known on social media

As an experienced politician, she may not have said what she wanted to in the House of Commons chamber but she knows how to get her point across.