Lindsay Hoyle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Lindsay Hoyle
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Official portrait, 2024
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| Speaker of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom | |
| Assumed office 4 November 2019 |
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| Monarch | |
| Prime Minister | |
| Preceded by | John Bercow |
| Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Chairman of Ways and Means |
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| In office 8 June 2010 – 4 November 2019 |
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| Speaker | John Bercow |
| Preceded by | Alan Haselhurst |
| Succeeded by | Eleanor Laing |
| Member of Parliament for Chorley |
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| Assumed office 1 May 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Den Dover |
| Majority | 20,575 (60.6%) |
| Chorley Borough Councillor for Adlington | |
| In office 1 May 1980 – 7 May 1998 |
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| Preceded by | A. Moss |
| Succeeded by | Catherine Hoyle |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Lindsay Harvey Hoyle
10 June 1957 Adlington, Lancashire, England |
| Political party | Speaker (since 2019) |
| Other political affiliations |
Labour (before 2019) |
| Spouses |
Lynda Fowler
(m. 1974; div. 1982)Catherine Swindley
(m. 1993) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent |
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| Residence | Speaker's House |
| Occupation |
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| Signature |  |
Sir Lindsay Harvey Hoyle (born 10 June 1957) is a British politician. He has been the Speaker of the House of Commons since 2019. He has also been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Chorley since 1997. Before becoming Speaker, he was a member of the Labour Party.
As an MP, Sir Lindsay served as a Chairman of Ways and Means and a deputy speaker from 2010 to 2019. He was then elected as Speaker on 4 November 2019. He was re-elected as Speaker without anyone opposing him after both the 2019 and 2024 general elections.
He was made a Knight Bachelor in 2018 for his work in Parliament and politics.
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Early Life and Career
Lindsay Hoyle was born on 10 June 1957 in Adlington, Lancashire. His father, Doug Hoyle, later became a Labour MP. Lindsay went to Adlington County School and Lord's College in Bolton. Before becoming an MP, he ran his own business that printed designs on textiles.
In 1980, Lindsay Hoyle was elected as a local councillor for Adlington on the Chorley Borough Council. He was re-elected four times and served as Deputy Leader from 1994 to 1997. After becoming an MP in 1997, he served as the annual mayor before leaving the council in 1998.
Parliamentary Work
In 1996, Lindsay Hoyle was chosen to be the Labour candidate for Chorley. He was elected to Parliament as the MP for Chorley in the 1997 general election.
After the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997, Hoyle suggested building a new national children's hospital in her memory. He also suggested renaming London Heathrow Airport after her. However, these ideas were not put into action.
Hoyle was a member of important committees in Parliament, including the Trade and Industry Committee. He also supported groups that focused on places like Gibraltar and the British Virgin Islands.
He was re-elected as MP for Chorley in the 2001, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2024 general elections.
Hoyle sometimes disagreed with Prime Minister Tony Blair on topics like Gibraltar and university fees. He believed in sticking to principles and promises. He did not say whether he voted to Leave or Remain in the 2016 referendum on leaving the European Union.
Deputy Speaker Role
On 8 June 2010, Hoyle was chosen by MPs to be the Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons and Chairman of Ways and Means. This was the first time this role was chosen by a vote of MPs. He became a member of the Privy Council in 2013.
In March 2013, Hoyle was praised for how he managed a Budget debate, which was often interrupted by MPs.
In February 2017, Hoyle told off MPs from the SNP for singing the European Anthem during a vote. He said he did not want Parliament to become a "sing-off." He also had a disagreement with former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond about whether he had stopped an SNP MP from speaking.
In March 2017, Hoyle asked social media companies to act faster against offensive posts. He said such posts could harm democracy and stop women from becoming MPs.
Hoyle was in the Speaker's Chair during the terrorist attack in Westminster on 22 March 2017. He helped manage the situation when the Commons was locked down.
Speaker of the House of Commons (2019–present)
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On 4 November 2019, Hoyle ran for Speaker to replace John Bercow. He was seen as the favourite to win. He won the election on the fourth vote, getting 325 votes. After being elected, Hoyle gave up his membership of the Labour Party, as the Speaker must be fair to all parties.
In his acceptance speech, Hoyle said that the House of Commons would "change for the better." He promised to be a "transparent" Speaker and to care about the well-being of the staff.
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In October 2021, Hoyle joined other political leaders in laying wreaths at a church in Leigh-on-Sea. This was after MP David Amess was murdered there.
In September 2022, Hoyle described the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II as "the most important event the world will ever see."
In December 2022, Hoyle said he did not agree with his former party's plan to replace the House of Lords with an elected chamber.
In May 2023, Hoyle showed two new stained glass windows in the Speaker's House at the Palace of Westminster. One window shows his personal coat of arms, with symbols like a rugby league ball and Lancashire roses. The other window celebrates the symbols of Britain's Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories. Hoyle said the windows show the strong links between the UK and these places.
On 9 July 2024, he was re-elected unopposed as Speaker.
Managing Debates
In February 2024, there was a discussion about a motion concerning a ceasefire in Gaza. Some MPs felt that the Speaker's decision on which amendments to allow for a vote was unusual. This led to some MPs expressing their concerns about the Speaker's choices. Sir Lindsay later apologised to the House and said he would meet with party leaders to discuss how to move forward.
Some newspapers and MPs suggested that the Speaker might have favoured his former party. Sir Lindsay denied having a meeting with a specific Labour advisor but confirmed he met with Keir Starmer. Starmer said he simply asked the Speaker to allow the "broadest possible debate" on the ceasefire calls.
The day after the debate, the Speaker again apologised to the SNP and offered them an emergency debate. However, the SNP leader, Stephen Flynn, said his party had "no confidence" in the Speaker. When a new motion for an emergency debate on Gaza was rejected by Hoyle, Flynn renewed his call for the Speaker to step down.
In March 2024, Labour MP Diane Abbott said Hoyle did not give her a chance to ask a question during Prime Minister's Questions. This happened when she was mentioned by other politicians. She tried to get the Speaker's attention many times but was not called upon. Hoyle's spokesperson explained that Prime Minister's Questions has limited time, and the Speaker prioritises MPs already listed to ask questions.
Personal Life
Hoyle lives in Adlington, Lancashire. As Speaker, he has an official residence called Speaker's House in the Palace of Westminster. This house is used for official events and has private living areas.
Hoyle has been married twice and has two daughters. He married Catherine Swindley in 1993, and she later became a local councillor. His elder daughter, Emma Fox, also worked in his constituency office.
Hoyle and Miriam Lewis had a daughter, Natalie Lewis-Hoyle, who passed away in December 2017 at the age of 28. Hoyle said he was "truly devastated" by her death.
Before the 2019 general election, he shared that he had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
Outside of politics, he supports Bolton Wanderers football team and Warrington Wolves rugby league team. He was also president of the Rugby Football League from 2022 to 2024.
Hoyle loves animals and has several pets named after famous British politicians. These include his parrot Boris (after Boris Johnson), his tortoise Maggie (after Margaret Thatcher), and Attlee (Clement Attlee), his cat who often spends time in the House of Commons. In July 2024, he announced another cat named Clem. He also has an Instagram page for Attlee, where he shares pictures of the cat in Parliament. In February 2024, Hoyle presented a Guinness World Record certificate to Jonathan, the world's oldest living land animal, during a visit to St Helena.
In 2020, Hoyle became the Chancellor of the University of Gibraltar.
His father, Doug Hoyle, passed away in April 2024 at the age of 98.
In January 2025, Hoyle made a guest appearance in the TV show Emmerdale to celebrate its 10,000th episode.
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See also
In Spanish: Lindsay Hoyle para niños
