Speaker of the House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the Speaker of Parliament of the British House of Commons , the so-called Lower House and first chamber of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . As such, he also directs the administration of the House of Commons. Sir Lindsay Hoyle was elected speaker on November 4, 2019 and unanimously confirmed by the new parliament on December 17, 2019.
The speaker leads the debates of the House of Commons, determines which MPs can speak and which amendments are voted on. He is responsible for maintaining order during the debate and can punish members who break the rules.
In contrast to many presidents of parliament, he has to behave in an absolutely impartial manner. When taking office, he resigns from his party and renounces any membership of his party.
The speaker does not take part in the debates and votes. Only if there is a tie does he cast his votes for the Speaker Denison's rule.
In addition to his duties in the debate, he also has administrative and procedural functions. He chairs the House of Commons Commission, the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (SCIPSA), the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission (SCEC) and the four Boundary Commissions . They also represent how each deputy (MP) their constituency and are members of the Privy Council . The speaker can and must live in the Speaker's House in the Palace of Westminster .
history
Beginnings
The office of the speaker is almost as old as the parliament. The earliest known chairman is Peter de Montfort , who chaired the Oxford Parliament in 1258 . The office of speaker has been occupied continuously since 1376. Sir Peter de la Mare was the spokesman for the Good Parliament when it accused the Crown Ministers of mismanagement. Edward III was frail. His eldest son Edward, the Black Prince , was terminally ill. So it was up to John of Gaunt to defend himself against the allegations. He had De la Mare arrested and desecrated the other critics.
The next parliament, the Bad Parliament, in 1377, which was intimidated by the Crown, proposed Thomas Hungerford as speaker.
On October 6, 1399, John Cheyne of Beckford (Gloucester) was elected Speaker. Influential Archbishop of Canterbury , Thomas Arundel , voiced his fears as Cheyne was considered a critic of the Church. Eight days later, he resigned for health reasons. But he remained in the service of the king for more years.
Although each parliament initially elected its chairman and at least the 1420 election was only four votes ahead, the crown was usually able to get a spokesman through. The speaker's personal immunity prevailed relatively quickly, since he spoke for the entirety of the MPs. This strengthened the parliament. On the other hand, the Crown had an interest in having a person with authority make Parliament an instrument of the Crown.
In the Middle Ages and early modern times, every speaker was a member of a county. This suggests that the members of a county had more prestige than the numerous members of the Burgess. Sir Thomas More was the first speaker to become Lord Chancellor .
17th to 19th century
Until the 17th century, the members of the House of Commons mostly viewed their speaker as an agent of the king, which was mostly true. As the parliament developed, the speaker became more and more representative of the parliament towards the crown. This was particularly true during the English Civil War . When King Charles I entered the House of Commons to arrest five MPs for high treason, he asked the Speaker where they were. The speaker replied that this was not his job, but that he had to serve the house.
By the cabinet government under King William III. In the late 17th century there was another change in the role of the speaker. He was usually a minister and often held other government posts.
Current situation
Since the middle of the 19th century, the office of speaker in its current form has been exercised in a non-political and non-partisan manner.
Over 150 people served as speakers. Their names are written in gold leaf on the walls of Room C of the House of Commons Library. Betty Boothroyd , elected in 1992, was the first female speaker. The first woman to sit in the speaker's chair was Betty Harvie Anderson , who was Deputy Speaker from 1970. Michael Martin, elected in 2000, was the first Catholic speaker since the Reformation . John Bercow , elected in 2009, was the first Jewish speaker.
The speaker has considerable influence on the legislative process, as he can select the legislative amendments and interpret and enforce the official rules of parliament, Erskine May . In 2019, the German public also became aware of the influence of the then speaker John Bercow on the vote on the UK's exit treaty from the EU . It also prevented multiple votes on the same contract. Bercow was also criticized for this behavior. But he said that he acted within his authority.
Until 1992, all speakers were male and were named "Mr Speaker" and their deputies were "Mr Deputy Speakers". At her request, Betty Boothroyd was addressed as "Madam Speaker". Betty Harvie Anderson, who served as Deputy Speaker in the 1970s, was addressed as "Mr Deputy Speaker". Eleanor Laing , who has been Deputy Speaker since 2013, is addressed as "Madam Deputy Speaker".
choice
The members of parliament elect the speaker from among their own ranks. The election takes place at the beginning of the electoral term, after the resignation or death of the predecessor. According to the conventions of the house, the speaker will be re-elected when he runs again. In theory, re-election could be voted against, but that would go against the House's tradition.
The voting process has changed in recent years. Until 1971, the Clerk of the House of Commons became the temporary chairman of parliament. Since the clerk is an employee and not a member, he was not allowed to speak during the meetings and granted the right to speak by pointing to the MP. Since 1971, as proposed by the Select Committee, the Father of the House , the longest-serving MP who is not a minister, has been temporarily chairing Parliament.
Until 2001, the choice of speaker was carried out in the usual application process. One member proposed that Mr. / Ms. X should become the Speaker of the House. With the help of a change request, the name of the speaker could be changed. Behind the scenes, this procedure required a great deal of coordination. When twelve candidates applied for the office in 2000, the system collapsed. The consultations took a full day. The House of Commons Procedure Committee then examined a new electoral process and recommended a new system that came into force in 2007 and was first applied in 2009 after Michael Martin stepped down .
Under the current system, candidates need twelve supporters, three of whom must belong to a different party. Each member may not support more than one candidate. The election takes place in secret and an absolute majority is necessary. If no candidate is elected, the candidate with the fewest votes and all candidates with less than 5 percent are eliminated and a new ballot takes place. After a candidate has obtained an absolute majority, a formal request for appointment of the member concerned is made. In the unlikely event that the application is rejected, the process will have to be repeated.
If there is only one applicant, the application for appointment is made immediately.
It is expected that the elected spokesman will hold back when approving the proposal. After the election, the new speaker will be dragged into the speaker's place. This custom has its origins in the time when the speaker had to convey the opinions of the House of Commons to the monarch. Thus, the speaker was exposed to the wrath of the monarch. Contrary to rumors, a spokesman for actions in office has never been executed. Six former speakers were executed. In five cases, the execution was carried out by a new king due to the close relationship with the previous king.
The chosen speaker must be approved by the monarch before he can take office. On election day, the elected speaker leads the MPs into the House of Lords. There he is confirmed by the Lords Commissioners on behalf of the monarch. If elected after a general parliamentary election, the speaker demands the rights and privileges of parliament. These are granted and the MPs return to their parliamentary chamber.
Notable choices
The 1951 speaker election was controversial. After incumbent spokesman Douglas Clifton Brown resigned in the 1951 general election, the Labor Party demanded that Major James Milner be Labor's first speaker after serving as deputy spokesman for eight years. However, the Conservatives, who were again in the majority, nominated William Shepherd Morrison . Morrison was elected and Milner received peerage in compensation.
In 1971 the Labor Party Conservatives proposed Selwyn Lloyd or John Boyd-Carpenter as speakers. The Labor Party chose Selwyn Lloyd because he was considered the weaker politician. However, when the House of Commons debated the new speaker, Conservative MP Robin Maxwell-Hyslop and Labor MP Willie Hamilton proposed Geoffrey de Freitas , a senior and respected Labor MP. De Freitas was surprised by the sudden nomination and urged the House not to support him. This was his real opinion, in contrast to the usual reluctance expected from the speaker. Lloyd was elected, but all parties felt that the electoral system needed to be overhauled. Since then, the candidate's approval has been required for nomination.
The last three cases of new speaker election (1992, 2000 and 2009) have all been relatively controversial. Bernard Weatherill announced his resignation long before the 1992 general election, which led to a long but not open campaign. Betty Boothroyd , a Labor MP who was deputy speaker, was known to have been keen to become the first female speaker. As a result, the Labor MP Harold Walker , who had also been Deputy Speaker, had to withdraw his candidacy. Conservative Peter Brooke was also proposed as a candidate. In contrast to previous elections, there was an active campaign among Conservative MPs in support of Boothroyd and around 70 Conservatives the election of the first female speaker. She was also the only speaker of the 20th century who was not a member of the ruling party at the time of her first election.
Betty Boothroyd announced her resignation shortly before the summer break in 2000, which was sufficient time to declare a candidacy but gave MPs little opportunity to negotiate and decide who should be elected. Many Labor MPs suggested Michael Martin. Most Conservatives strongly believed that the recent switch between the main parties should be maintained and that a Conservative spokesman should be selected. The best-known candidates were Sir George Young and the Deputy Speaker Sir Alan Haselhurst. A total of 14 candidates applied, none of which renounced. Michael Martin was proposed as speaker and all amendments were rejected. As a result, many MPs called for a secret ballot for future elections.
Non-partisanship
According to the convention, the speaker cuts all ties to his political party. Many speakers were previously ministers or held other positions. For example, Selwyn Lloyd and George Thomas were previously cabinet members, and Bernard Weatherill was previously Whip .
In the house, the speaker does not take part in any voting. Since the three deputy speakers abstained from voting, the ruling and opposition parties lost two votes each.
After he no longer runs as a speaker, he usually no longer takes up his party membership. When he is raised to be a peer , he takes his seat under the Crossbenchers .
Parliament seat
If the speaker stands for re-election in his constituency, he stands as an impartial candidate. He has the right to identify himself on the ballot as “The Speaker seeking re-election”.
When the Speaker Edward FitzRoy , previously a member of the Conservatives, had to run against a Labor candidate in the British general election in 1935 , a cabinet committee examined whether a separate constituency should be created for speakers. The proposal was not implemented because it contradicted democratic principles.
tasks
Chair of the session
The main task of the speaker is to lead the sessions of the lower house. Traditionally, he wore a black robe and a white wig for this. This was gradually abolished from 1992 onwards. For ceremonial occasions such as the opening of parliament, the speaker wears a black and gold robe.
He sits on a chair while chairing the meetings. On the right the government and on the left the opposition. The speaker has far-reaching powers. Its counterpart in the House of Lords , the Lord Speaker, has fewer powers. He may give the floor to the parliamentarians. Nobody is allowed to start a speech without his permission. He alternates between the government side and the opposition. All speeches are addressed to him and the deputies speak about each other in a third person. They do not address each other by name, but by their title as minister or as a member of constituency X. Usually the speaker does not make any speeches himself.
During the debate, the speaker maintains discipline and order. If a member of parliament has an objection to a rule violation, the speaker makes the final decision. If necessary, he can seek advice from the Parliamentary Clerk before making a decision. Usually he calls the MPs with "ORDER! ORDER!" to order. If the order is not followed, he can exclude the MP from the session by naming . In the event of serious disturbance, he can adjourn the meeting.
More functions
The speaker represents parliament vis-à-vis the monarch, the House of Lords and non-parliamentary bodies. He recalls the house in the event of a national emergency.
The speaker oversees the administration of parliament. He chairs the House of Commons Commission, which appoints employees, sets salaries and oversees administration. The Speaker is ex officio chairman of the four Boundary Commissions (for England , Wales , Scotland and Northern Ireland ) that set the constituency boundaries. However, he does not take part in the meetings.
He also represents his constituency in parliament.
Deputies
The speaker is supported by three MPs elected by the House. The most senior is the Chairman of Ways and Means. The title is derived from the no longer existing Ways and Means Committee. The second and third representatives are referred to as the First and Second Deputy Chairmen of Ways and Means. Usually the speaker leads the session for three hours a day. Otherwise he is represented by the Deputy Speakers. During the annual household reading, the Chairman of Ways and Means chairs the meeting.
The Speaker never chairs the Committee of the Whole House, which consists of all members of Parliament but is subject to different rules. This instrument was developed because the speaker was also perceived as an agent of the crown.
The deputy speakers have the same powers as the speaker. You have to run the House impartially. However, they remain members of their parties and stand for election in the constituencies like normal MPs.
Payments and privileges
The speaker is one of the UK's highest officials. According to the Order in Council from 1919, the Speaker takes precedence over all non-royal persons except the Prime Minister, the Lord Chancellor and the Lord President of the Council . In England and Wales, the Archbishops of the Church of England also take precedence, in Scotland, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and in Northern Ireland, over some clergy.
In 2010 the speaker received a salary of £ 145,492. This corresponds to the salary of a cabinet minister. He has right of residence in the Speaker's House, his official residence.
Due to the high office, the speaker is appointed to the Privy Council after the election . Therefore he is addressed as "The Right Honorable" and uses the postal nominal letters PC. After his resignation, he has been called to the House of Lords as Viscounts since the War of the Three Kingdoms . Most recently, George Thomas was appointed Viscount Tonypandy in 1983. Since then they have only become baronies after their resignation. The generality of the process has been called into question by the government through the discontent that John Bercow acquired during his tenure.
Speaker's Chaplain
The speaker's chaplain was usually a canon of Westminster Abbey . Between 1990 and 2010 the post was occupied by the rector of St Margaret's, Westminster (the parish church between Parliament and Westminster Abbey). In 2010 Bercow appointed Rose Hudson-Wilkin , Vicar of Dalston, and Haggerston as chaplain. This was the first chaplain who was not canon of Westminster Abbey.
Acting speaker and deputy speaker
| position | Official | since | Political party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speaker of the House of Commons | Sir Lindsay Hoyle |
|
4th November 2019 | independent, previously Labor |
| Chairman of Ways and Means | Eleanor Laing DBE |
|
January 8, 2020 | Conservative |
| First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means | Rosie Winterton DBE |
|
January 7, 2020 | Labor |
| Second Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means | Nigel Evans |
|
January 8, 2020 | Conservative |
literature
- Dasent, Arthur Irwin (1911): The Speakers of the House of Commons . London: John Lane
- House of Commons Information Office (2003) "The Speaker"
- McKay, Sir William (2004): Erskine May: Parliamentary Practice , 23rd ed.London: Butterworths Tolley
- Roskell, John Smith, The Commons and their Speakers in English Parliaments, 1376–1523 , Manchester, 1965
- Roskell, John Smith, Parliament and Politics in Late Medieval England , 3 volumes, London, 1983: contains individual essays on many medieval Speakers, plus one on origins of the office
See also
Web links
- The Speaker of the House of Commons (from parliament.uk )
- Parliament (from direct.gov.uk )
Individual evidence
- ↑ What does the Speaker actually do? , BBC News. June 22, 2009. Retrieved June 23, 2009.
- ↑ Roskell, JS: The History of Parliament: The House of Commons from 1386 to 1421 . ISBN 978-0-86299-943-8 .
- ^ Jacob Jarvis: Brexit amendments explained: Wollaston, Benn amendments and the options John Bercow has selected for a vote by MPs . March 14, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
- ↑ Erskine May: A treatise on the law, privileges, proceedings and usage of Parliament. . Parliament.uk; History of the Parliamentary Estate. 1844. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ↑ Peter Walker: What has John Bercow done now? . March 18, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
- ↑ a b c The Speaker . House of Commons Information Office. Pp. 4-5. September 2003.
- ^ Tory MP Bercow is an elected speaker , BBC News. June 22, 2009.
- ^ Traditions of Parliament . Parliament of the United Kingdom.
- ^ The Speaker and Elections . In: The Times , December 16, 1938, p. 16.
- ^ The Speaker's Seat . In: The Times , April 14, 1939, p. 8.
- ↑ a b c The Speaker . House of Commons Information Office. September 2003.
- ^ Philip Webster: Farewell to tights as new Speaker John Bercow presides over Commons . In: The Times , Times Newspapers Ltd, June 24, 2009. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
- ↑ Factsheet G6: Disciplinary and Penal Powers of the House . House of Commons Information Office. September 2010 .: "If a Member has disregarded the authority of the Chair, or has persistently and willfully obstructed the House by abusing its rules, he or she may (after generally being given every opportunity to set matters to rights) be named. That is, the speaker says "I name Mr William White [or whoever]". Thereupon, usually the Leader of the House, the Government Chief Whip, or the senior minister present, moves "that Mr William White be suspended from the service of the House". If the motion is passed, if necessary after a division, the member is directed to withdraw, and suspension (for five sitting days for a first offense), follows. A second offense in the same session will lead to suspension for 20 sitting days, and a third, to suspension for a period the House shall decide. Should a member refuse to withdraw, and then resist removal by the Serjeant at Arms, suspension for the remainder of the session ensues. Where the Member has been suspended from the service of the House under Standing Order No. 44, salary is forfeited during the period of suspension. "
- ^ Ministerial Salaries . House of Commons Information Office. September 2010. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
- ↑ Chris Mason: Speaker Bercow 'could be denied peerage' . In: BBC News . January 18, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
- ^ New Speaker's Chaplain appointed . Parliament of the United Kingdom. Retrieved July 27, 2014.