by The Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, has apologized for his discussion of the Gaza ceasefire, which came under fire after he stood by a parliamentary convention to approve Labour’s amendment to the opposition day’s motion SNP.
Sir Lindsay, 66, is under pressure amid allegations he helped the Labor leader avoid another damaging rebellion on the Middle East issue, with more than 60 MPs so far signing a motion of no confidence in the Speaker.
But is the pressure enough to destroy the Speaker? And what is a Speaker?
– History of the speaker
Although talk of its current title dates back to the appointment of Sir Thomas Hungerford in 1377, the Parliament of the United Kingdom recognizes the first commanding officer as Peter de Montfort during the “Mad Parliament” in 1258.
Until the 17th century, the Speaker acted as a dangerous intermediary between Parliament and the King.
When they received unwelcome news from their representative, Kings would often shoot the messenger, leading to the title of seven Speakers between 1394 and 1535.
In 1642 Speaker William Lenthall defied King Charles I’s order to reveal the whereabouts of five members of Parliament for treason, saying: “I have neither eyes to see nor tongue to speak in this place but as this House pleases.” lead me.”
Speakers often held positions within government after the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, but Speaker Arthur Onslow initiated the speaker’s retirement from Government in the 1700s.
– What is the role of the Speaker?
The role of Speaker is now highly politically biased, and new appointees are required to resign from their party.
The Speaker is a Member of Parliament who usually stands unopposed in general elections during their time in office, at least by major parties.
As well as presiding over debates and keeping them in order, the modern Speaker chooses who speaks in the Houses, decides which amendments or urgent questions can be heard, and allows emergency debates.
Under Speaker Denison’s rule, the Speaker must cast a casting vote in the event of a tie, although they are always encouraged to vote for further discussion.
The Speaker is supported by the Clerk of the House of Commons, a similar politically neutral post currently held by Tom Goldsmith, and a deputy Speaker, currently Dame Eleanor Laing, to fulfill duties in their absence.
– How is the Speaker elected?
A new Speaker is elected by a secret ballot of MPs at the start of Parliament after a general election, or if a predecessor resigns, dies or resigns.
If a Speaker wishes to remain in office after a general election, they can be re-appointed by a majority vote in the House of Commons.
Although there is no formal framework for forcibly removing a Speaker from his role, Michael Martin’s removal from his role in 2009 set a precedent for peer pressure control and emphasized the importance of trust in the Speaker.
Mr Martin, who was elected Speaker in 2000, resigned following criticism of his role in the MPs’ expenses scandal.
– Who is Sir Lindsay Hoyle?
Sir Lindsay, the son of Lord Hoyle, the former Labor MP, grew up with a relentless ambition to emulate his father’s political career.
Sir Lindsay was the youngest ever councilor to serve in Chorley, Lancashire, aged 22, going on to become Mayor of Chorley between 1997 and 1998.
He then stood for the Chorley parliamentary seat in 1997, becoming the first Labor MP to represent the constituency for 18 years, before being elected Speaker on 4 February 2019.
A noted animal lover, Sir Lindsay and his wife Catherine Swindley live with a variety of politically named pets including a parrot called Boris, a Patterdale terrier called Betty, a turtle called Maggie and a kitten called Attlee.
– Who is John Bercow and where is he now?
Cries of “bring back Bercow” could be heard in the chamber after Sir Lindsay’s intervention in the Gaza ceasefire vote, referring to the Speaker’s predecessor John Bercow.
Such a tongue-in-cheek retort may have been due to the Conservative Party’s annoyance at Mr Bercow’s perceived slide to the left during his term.
A former MP for Buckingham, Mr Bercow stepped down in 2019 after a 10-year spell at the helm which made him the longest-serving Speaker since Edward Fitzroy left office in 1943.
Mr Bercow was then accused of bullying by former colleagues, became the first Speaker in 230 years to be snubbed from a job in the Lords, and announced his switch of allegiance to Labor in 2021.
Most recently he starred as a contestant in the American version of the TV show The Traitors.
