Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Speaker of the House of Commons
Flag of the House of Commons
Logo used to represent the House of Commons
Incumbent Sir Lindsay Hoyle since 4 November 2019
House of Commons of the United Kingdom Speaker's Office
Style	Mr Speaker (informal and within the house) The Right Honourable (within the UK and the Commonwealth)
Member of	House of Commons House of Commons Commission Privy Council Boundary Commissions SCIPSA SCEC
Residence	Speaker's House, Palace of Westminster
Nominator	No fewer than twelve MPs, at least three of whom must be from different political parties
Appointer	House of Commons approved and sworn in by the Sovereign
Term length	At His Majesty's pleasure elected by the Commons at the start of each parliament, and upon a vacancy
Formation	1377
First holder	Thomas Hungerford (first recorded holder, though role existed before)
Deputy	Chairman of Ways and Means
Salary	Entitled to £156,676 annually (including £79,468 MP's salary)

The Speaker of the House of Commons is a very important person in the House of Commons. This is the main part of the UK Parliament where laws are made. The Speaker is like the referee or chairperson for all the debates and discussions. They make sure everyone follows the rules.

The current Speaker is Sir Lindsay Hoyle. He was chosen on 4 November 2019. The Speaker's job is to lead the debates and decide which Members of Parliament (MPs) can speak. They also choose which changes (called amendments) to new laws can be discussed. The Speaker must keep order when MPs are debating. They can even punish MPs who break the rules.

A key part of the Speaker's job is to be fair to everyone. They must not take sides with any political party. They give up their party membership when they become Speaker. The Speaker does not usually speak in debates or vote. They only vote if there is a tie, to help keep the debate going or to keep things as they are. Besides leading debates, the Speaker also handles many important tasks for the House of Commons. They are still an MP for their local area and represent the Commons to the King and the House of Lords. The Speaker lives in the Speaker's House at the Palace of Westminster.

History of the Speaker's Role

The job of Speaker is very old, almost as old as Parliament itself.

How the Speaker's Job Started

The first person known to lead a Parliament was Peter de Montfort in 1258. Back then, they were called "parlour" or "prolocutor." The role of Speaker as we know it really began in 1376. Sir Peter de la Mare spoke for the common people in Parliament. He helped them challenge the King's ministers.

In 1377, Thomas Hungerford became the Speaker. He was chosen by the King's son, John of Gaunt. This showed how useful it was to have one person to lead the Commons. This idea of a single "speaker" quickly became a key part of Parliament.

For a long time, the King often had a say in who became Speaker. The Speaker was seen as a link between the King and the Commons. But over time, the Speaker's job changed. They started to serve the House of Commons more than the King.

A Big Moment for Impartiality

A famous event in 1642 showed this change. King Charles I came into the House of Commons to arrest some MPs. He asked the Speaker, William Lenthall, where they were. Speaker Lenthall bravely replied that he could only speak as the House told him to. This showed that the Speaker's loyalty was to Parliament, not just the King.

Later, in the 17th century, Speakers were often linked to the government. Some even held other government jobs. But in the 18th century, Speakers like Arthur Onslow started to become more independent.

The Modern Speaker's Role

The Speaker's job became truly fair and non-political in the mid-1800s. Today, the Speaker must not belong to any political party while in office. This makes sure they are completely impartial.

More than 150 people have been Speaker. Betty Boothroyd, chosen in 1992, was the first woman Speaker. Michael Martin was the first Catholic Speaker since the Reformation in 2000. John Bercow was the first Jewish Speaker in 2009.

The Speaker has a lot of power over new laws. They decide which changes to a bill can be voted on. They also make sure the rules of Parliament are followed. For example, Speaker John Bercow made important decisions about rules during debates on Britain leaving the European Union. He said he was just following the rules fairly.

Until 1992, all Speakers were men and were called "Mr Speaker." Betty Boothroyd asked to be called "Madam Speaker." Now, female Deputy Speakers are also called "Madam Deputy Speaker."

When a Speaker steps down, they are usually offered a special title in the House of Lords. This tradition was broken in 2020 when John Bercow was not offered this title.

How the Speaker is Chosen

MPs choose the Speaker from among themselves.

The Election Process

The House of Commons must elect a Speaker at the start of every new Parliament. This also happens if the current Speaker leaves or passes away. Once chosen, a Speaker usually stays in the job until Parliament ends. Speakers who want to continue are almost always re-elected. The last time a Speaker was not re-elected was in 1835.

The way the Speaker is elected has changed over time. Before 1971, the Clerk of the House of Commons (who is not an MP) would lead the election. This was changed because it caused problems in 1971. Now, the oldest MP who is not a minister, called the "Father of the House," leads the election.

Until 2001, the election was done by a simple vote. But this system became difficult in 2000 when many candidates wanted the job. So, a new system was put in place in 2007.

New Election Rules

Under the new rules, a candidate needs at least twelve MPs to support them. At least three of these MPs must be from a different political party than the candidate. Each MP can only support one candidate.

The MPs then vote by secret ballot. To win, a candidate needs more than half of the votes. If no one wins in the first round, the candidate with the fewest votes is removed. Any candidates with less than 5% of the votes are also removed. The voting continues until one person gets more than half the votes. Then, the House votes to formally appoint that person as Speaker.

If only one person is nominated, there is no ballot. The House just votes to appoint that person. The same happens if a Speaker wants to continue after a general election.

The "Unwilling" Speaker

After being chosen, the new Speaker is expected to act like they don't want the job. MPs traditionally "drag" them to the Speaker's chair. This old custom comes from a time when the Speaker had to tell the King what the Commons thought. This could make the King angry, so Speakers needed to be persuaded to take the job. No Speaker has ever been executed for their actions in that role.

The King or Queen must approve the Speaker before they can start. The Speaker-elect goes to the House of Lords. There, special officials confirm their appointment. The Speaker then asks for the Commons' "ancient rights and privileges." These include freedom of speech in debates and freedom from arrest. Once these rights are confirmed, the Commons return to their chamber.

Being Non-Partisan

A very important rule for the Speaker is to be completely fair.

No Party Ties

By tradition, the Speaker cuts all ties with their political party when they take office. This is crucial so everyone sees them as a neutral leader. Many Speakers were active politicians before taking the job. For example, Selwyn Lloyd and George Thomas were high-ranking government ministers.

The Speaker does not vote on any motion, unless there is a tie. The Deputy Speakers also follow this rule. This means no political party gains or loses a vote because of the Speaker or their deputies.

After leaving office, a Speaker usually does not get involved in party politics again. If they join the House of Lords, they usually sit as an independent member.

Staying an MP

When there's a general election, the Speaker usually runs for re-election without a party label. They are listed on the ballot as "The Speaker seeking re-election." In the past, they might not have had any opponents. However, this has not happened since 1931. Major political parties usually do not put up candidates against the Speaker. This is to show respect for the Speaker's role.

In 2010, Speaker John Bercow faced ten opponents in his election. He still won with 47% of the votes.

What the Speaker Does

The Speaker has many important jobs for the House of Commons.

Leading Debates

The Speaker's main job is to lead the debates in the House of Commons. They are the highest authority in the House and make the final decisions on how business is done. The Speaker wears a special black gown. They used to wear a wig, but recent Speakers have chosen not to.

The Speaker sits in a special chair at the front of the House. Government MPs sit on the Speaker's right, and opposition MPs sit on the left. The Speaker has a lot of power. They decide who can speak. No MP can speak without the Speaker's permission. The Speaker usually lets government and opposition MPs speak one after another.

MPs must speak to the Speaker, not to each other. They say "Mister Speaker" or "Madam Speaker." MPs must also refer to each other by their constituency name or their job title, not their actual names. The Speaker usually does not make speeches to stay neutral.

Keeping Order

During debates, the Speaker is in charge of keeping order. They decide on all "points of order," which are questions about whether a rule has been broken. The Speaker's decisions are final. They use the House rules and past decisions to make their rulings. They can also ask for advice from the Parliament staff.

If MPs are being noisy or disruptive, the Speaker will loudly say "ORDER! ORDER!" If MPs don't listen, the Speaker can make them leave the House for the rest of the day. For serious rule-breaking, the Speaker can "name" an MP. This means the House can vote to suspend that MP for several days. If there is "grave disorder," the Speaker can even stop the entire meeting immediately.

The Speaker also makes sure debates move along. If an MP is saying things that are not relevant or repeating themselves, the Speaker can tell them to stop speaking. Before a debate where many MPs want to speak, the Speaker can ask for "Short Speeches." This means they set a time limit for each speech, usually at least eight minutes. However, the Speaker also protects the rights of smaller groups. They can stop a vote that tries to end a debate too early if they think it's unfair.

Voting in a Tie

The Speaker usually does not vote. But if there is a tie vote, the Speaker must cast the deciding vote. This is called the "casting vote." By tradition, the Speaker votes in a way that allows for more debate. Or, if no more debate is possible, they vote to keep things as they are. For example, the Speaker would vote against a motion to end a debate quickly.

Tied votes are very rare because there are over 600 MPs. Since 1801, there have only been 50 tied votes. The last time a Speaker cast a tie-breaking vote was in 2019.

Other Important Jobs

The Speaker has several other roles for the House of Commons:

They represent the House to the King, the House of Lords, and other groups.
They can call Parliament back from a break during an emergency.
They approve new elections when an MP's seat becomes empty.
They decide if a bill is a "money bill," which means the House of Lords cannot block it.
They oversee the administration of the House. This includes hiring staff and managing the parts of the Palace of Westminster used by the Commons.
They lead committees that deal with parliamentary standards and election rules.
They are also in charge of the groups that redraw the boundaries of election areas.
The Speaker also continues to help the people in their local area, just like any other MP.

Deputy Speakers

The Speaker gets help from three deputies. These are also MPs elected by the House. They are called "Mr Deputy Speaker" or "Madam Deputy Speaker." The most senior deputy is called the "Chairman of Ways and Means."

The deputies have the same powers as the Speaker when they are leading debates. They also do not take sides in politics. They can still help their local voters with issues.

Speaker's Life and Privileges

The Speaker is one of the highest-ranking officials in the UK. They rank above most non-royal people, except for the Prime Minister and a few others.

In 2010, the Speaker earned a salary similar to a government minister. The Speaker lives in the Speaker's House at the Palace of Westminster. This house is used for official events and meetings. Every day, before Parliament meets, the Speaker and other officials walk in a special procession from the house to the Chamber. This procession includes the Serjeant-at-arms, who carries a special ceremonial mace. The mace shows the authority of the King and the House of Commons.

Speakers are usually made members of the Privy Council when they are elected. This means they can use the title "The Right Honourable." When they retire, Speakers are usually given a special title in the House of Lords. This tradition was broken for John Bercow in 2020.

Speaker's Chaplain

The Speaker has a special chaplain who leads prayers each day before Parliament starts. The chaplain also conducts marriages for MPs in the Palace of Westminster chapel.

Speaker's Legal Adviser

The Speaker also has a legal adviser called the Speaker's Counsel. This person gives legal advice to the Speaker.

Official Clothes

On normal sitting days, the Speaker wears a black silk gown with a train. On special state occasions, like the State Opening of Parliament, the Speaker wears a fancy black and gold robe.

The previous Speaker, John Bercow, chose not to wear the traditional wig or knee breeches. He wore a regular suit under his gown. The current Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, also wears a gown. He has said he will wear the full traditional robe for ceremonial events, but without the wig.

Current Speaker and Deputy Speakers

Position		Term started	Political party	Constituency
Speaker of the House of Commons	The Rt Hon. Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP	4 November 2019	Independent (formerly Labour)	Chorley
Chairman of Ways and Means	The Rt Hon. Dame Eleanor Laing DBE MP	8 January 2020	Conservative	Epping Forest
First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means	The Rt Hon. Dame Rosie Winterton DBE MP	7 January 2020	Labour	Doncaster Central
Second Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means	The Rt Hon. Nigel Evans MP	8 January 2020	Conservative	Ribble Valley
Acting Deputy Speaker	The Rt Hon. Sir Roger Gale MP	20 December 2022	Conservative	North Thanet