Who is the Speaker?

Keeping order in the Commons · 2 min read

Part of: How Parliament works · 8 short reads

This is number 6 of 8

The nutshell

The Speaker is the MP in charge of debates in the House of Commons. The Speaker keeps order, chooses which MP speaks next, and must be fair to every party.

Every fact on this page comes from UK Parliament and non-partisan explainers. Each source tag — like Parl — opens where a fact comes from.

Keep scrolling. The basics is next

The basics

What the Speaker does

The Speaker is the MP who runs debates in the House of Commons. The Speaker keeps order and decides which MP gets to speak next.Parl An MP who wants to speak has to catch the Speaker's eye by standing up in the chamber.

Staying fair to every side

The Speaker must be impartial — fair to every party and taking no side. To help with this, a new Speaker resigns from any political party, the Institute for Government explains.IfG The Speaker also stays out of the normal Commons votes.EM

How the Speaker is chosen

MPs choose the Speaker in a secret ballot — a vote where each MP marks a choice on paper.HoC When one candidate wins more than half the votes, the House confirms the new Speaker.

Breaking a tie

Sometimes a Commons vote ends in a tie. Then the Speaker gives a casting voteto settle it. By long custom this vote follows a set rule, not the Speaker's own opinion — usually to allow more debate, or to keep things unchanged.EM

What supporters say

MPs elect the Speaker in a secret ballot
On taking the job, the Speaker resigns from any political party, to stay impartial (Institute for Government)
The Speaker does not normally vote, and only steps in to break a rare tie

What critics say

A common mix-up: the Speaker is not the Prime Minister, and does not run the government
The Speaker still represents one local area as an MP, on top of chairing the whole Commons
In a tie, the casting vote follows a set convention, not the Speaker's personal choice (Erskine May)

Got it?

Three quick questions. Nothing is saved.

1. What is the Speaker's main job in the House of Commons?

2. Who chooses the Speaker?

3. Why does a new Speaker resign from a political party?

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Prime Minister's Questions, the weekly Commons session where MPs question the PM directly.

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The deep end6 min

The office of Speaker

The Speaker presides over the House of Commons. UK Parliament describes the role as keeping order, calling MPs to speak, and acting as a neutral referee between the two sides of the chamber.Parl The Institute for Government sums the job up as part chair, part referee, and part symbol of the Commons as a whole.IfG

Impartiality

The modern Speaker is politically impartial and is expected to avoid taking a political stance, according to the Institute for Government.IfGTo protect that impartiality, a new Speaker resigns from any political party on appointment and does not campaign for a party at a general election. The current Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, has held the office since November 2019.IfG

How a Speaker is elected

MPs elect the Speaker in a secret ballot, the House of Commons Library explains.HoC Each candidate first addresses the House. MPs then mark a ballot paper for one candidate. When a candidate wins more than half the votes, a motion asks the House to confirm the appointment. When no candidate reaches half, the lowest-placed candidates drop out and voting runs again, round by round, until one candidate passes half.

The casting vote

The Speaker does not normally vote in the Commons. In the rare event of a tie, the Speaker gives a casting vote. Erskine May, the official guide to Commons rules, sets out the principles for that vote — the Speaker votes to allow further debate where possible, or otherwise to keep the existing position, rather than on personal opinion.EM Tied votes are rare in a chamber of more than 600 MPs.