Naming (parliamentary procedure)
Naming is a procedure used to discipline members of the British House of Commons (and some other parliaments). Naming consists of naming a member whose exclusion from the meeting is to be decided.
Naming procedure
The Speaker (Speaker) of the British House or one of his deputies (Deputy Speaker) can penalize by session exclusion violations by members against the conduct of the house. The rules are set out in the Standing Orders of the House of Commons.
In the case of simple rule violations by the MPs, the speaker calls out “Order!” Once or several times, often supplemented by a humorous or serious explanation. If the MP does not obey the call to order, the speaker usually tries to persuade him to verbal reparation before taking disciplinary action.
Standing Order 43 (Disorderly conduct)
Standing Order 43 of the Rules of Procedure deals with disorderly conduct by a member of the House. If the speaker believes that a member's behavior is grossly against the code of conduct, he or she can expel the member for the remainder of the meeting on the same day. If this discipline measure appears inappropriate to him, he can name the member and apply the rules of Standing Order 44.
Standing Order 44 (Order in debate)
Members of the House are not allowed to address each other by name. Rather, they must speak of their colleagues in the third person and use a paraphrase for the member that includes the name of their constituency for ordinary members and their title for members of the government. Members are named by name only in two cases: when the speaker gives them the floor and as part of the naming procedure.
Standing Order 44 of the Rules of Procedure deals with the order in debate. In addition to the case listed in Standing Order 43 , the speaker should also use the naming procedure in the following two cases:
- when a member disregards the speaker's authority,
- or if a member constantly and deliberately disrupts the company's business operations by disregarding the rules.
To carry out the naming procedure, the speaker announces (example):
- "I must name the hon. Member for East Leyton, Mr. Brockway, for disregarding the authority of the Chair. "(I have to name the honorable member for East Leyton, Mr. Brockway, for disregarding the authority of the Chair.)
The Leader of the House then submits the motion,
- "That Mr. Brockway be suspended from the service of the house" (to exclude Mr. Brockway from the business of the house).
If members of the House object, a formal vote (division) is carried out and, if the result is positive, the exclusion is announced by the speaker. If the member is excluded for the first time in a session year, the exclusion takes place for 5 session days and the second time for 20 days. In the event of further exclusions in the same session year, the House determines the duration of the exclusion. According to Standing Order 45A, the member's salary will be withheld for the duration of the exclusion.
Examples
- Session exclusions after naming and without naming: #Priddy 2016 .
- Exclusions from meetings by naming: Namings in the House of Commons .
- Session exclusions by naming: List of MPs suspended from parliament (English).
Session exclusion after naming
When the speaker moves into the chamber, the serjeant-at-arms walks ahead with the ceremonial mace, which he places on the table of the house opposite the speaker's armchair. It was evidently particularly tempting for some members of the House of Commons to misuse this symbol of royal authority for their own purposes.
During Question Time in the House of Commons on July 17, 1930, Labor MP Fenner Brockway insisted , disregarding the rules and despite a prohibition by the speaker, to talk about the India problem. After a brief discussion with spokesman Edward FitzRoy , Brockway threatened the naming: "I have to name the honorable member if they don't follow my orders." Brockway refused, and the spokesman announced: "I have to name the honorable member for East Leyton, mentioning Mr. Brockway by name for disregard of the chairman's authority. ”Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald then moved a vote (division) on Brockway's expulsion.
After the vote, which was passed with 260-26 votes, Brockway's fellow member of the party John Beckett exclaimed, "This is a wretched shame," grabbed the mace and marched to the exit, where the Serjeant-at-Arms stopped him and gave him the mace snatched away. Brockway left the room at the speaker's request. Now the spokesman turned to Beckett: "I have to name the honorable member for Peckham, Mr. Beckett, because of gross disturbance of the peace." After the vote, which was accepted with 324: 4 votes, the spokesman asked Beckett to leave the room. Some members informed him that he had already "run out".
- Other mace incidents: Ceremonial mace .
Session exclusion without naming
In the House of Commons meeting on October 18, 1986, House member Tam Dalyell insulted Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher . A dialogue ensued between Dalyell and Deputy Speaker Harold Walker , in the course of which Dalyell spoke five very unparliamentary words in a single sentence:
| Tam Dalyell | speaker |
|---|---|
| The Prime Minister is a habitual, shameless scam. | Order. The honorable gentleman knows that he must not say this and that he must retract the remark about the Prime Minister. |
| I say she's a villain, a liar, a cheater, a swindler and a crook. | Order. The honorable gentleman knows very well that he must not say that. He must retract his remarks, or I must exercise my authority and exercise my responsibility to the House. I hope that the honorable gentleman who is a very experienced parliamentarian will withdraw these remarks. |
| I don't want to waste my colleagues' time. Let's not take matters further. I will stick to my remarks and I know what you must do, Mr Deputy Speaker. | In these circumstances, I have no choice but to exercise the powers I have been given under Standing Order No. 24 and have the honorable gentleman leave the house for the remainder of the session. |
Tam Dalyell left the meeting after the speaker's verdict. What seems to have a humorous note to outsiders is an example of the traditionally polite treatment in the House of Commons, which can bring about a peaceful balance even in controversial situations.
Tam Dalyell's name appears four times in the list of members suspended after naming: he was expelled three times for 5 days of meetings from 1984 to 1989, and once for 20 days because he was punished for the second time by naming in the 1987/1988 session .
literature
- UK Parliament Glossary , online .
- Hansard , House of Commons, Debate, July 17, 1930, Volume 241, Column 1462-1469, online .
- Hansard , House of Commons, Debate, October 29, 1986, Volume 103, Columns 387-389, online .
- Sarah Priddy: MPs who have withdrawn from the House of Commons or who have been suspended. Commons Briefing papers SN02430. London: House of Commons, 2016, online .
- Mark Sandford: Traditions and customs of the House: House of Commons Background Paper. London: House of Commons, 2013, online .
- Standing Orders of the House of Commons - Public Business. London: The House of Commons, 2016, online .
Web links
- During a 2009 House of Commons meeting, Rep. John McDonnell grabbed the mace and placed it on an empty bench. McDonnell was named and excluded from the meetings for 5 days, youtube .
- During a 2012 lower house session, MP Paul Flynn labeled the defense minister a liar and was banned from the session for the rest of the day, youtube .
- During a House of Commons session in 2016, MP Dennis Skinner referred to Prime Minister David Cameron as "Dodgy Dave" (the wily Dave) and was banned from the session for the rest of the day, youtube .
Footnotes
- ↑ Naming is also used in the parliaments of Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
- ↑ #Standing Orders 2016 .
- ↑ #Standing Orders 2016 , page 46.
- ↑ #Sandford 2013 , p. 4.
- ↑ #Standing Orders 2016 , page 46.
- ↑ #Standing Orders 2016 , pages 46–48.
- ↑ # Hansard 1930 .
- ↑ #Hansard 1986 .
- ↑ Today (2016): Standing Order No. 43.
- ↑ #Priddy 2016 .