The statement made by Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, on 17 July 2024.
The House has directed the Speaker to make a statement at the beginning of each Session about the duties and responsibilities of hon. Members. I begin by reminding Members of their duty to observe the code of conduct and the behaviour code agreed by the House and to behave with civility and fairness in all their dealings. Unacceptable behaviour will be dealt with seriously, independently and with effective sanctions.
The House asserts its privilege of freedom of speech. That privilege is enjoyed by Members of Parliament only in their work in this House as private individuals. We are equal under the law with those whom we represent. The privilege is there to ensure that our constituents can be represented by us without fear or favour. It is an obligation upon all of us to exercise the privilege responsibly.
It is incumbent on Members to be accurate in what they say in this House and to correct any mistakes as soon as possible. All Members can now submit written correspondence directly to Hansard to amend errors of fact in their contributions, as well as being able to correct the record by a point of order. The Speaker does not have the power to police the accuracy of Members’ contributions—if only I could—and I reflect that to the media, as well.
On courtesy and temperate language, I draw the House’s attention to the guidance on rules of behaviour and courtesies in this House of Commons. Members must be mindful of the impact of what we say not only on other Members, but on others who follow our proceedings. Members should be heard courteously, whatever their views. In particular, Members should address the Chair, rather than each other directly, and I say to hon. Gentlemen, please wear a tie or you just might not catch my eye. Members should remain in the Chamber for at least the next two speeches, or in Question Time, for two substantive questions after their own. Show respect to other Members.
Of course, I understand that new Members may need a bit of time to familiarise themselves with the conventions and courtesies of the House, and I will take that into account when I am in the Chair, but I urge every Member to study the guidance carefully. The use of mobile phones in this House is a privilege. Please try to think about when you need them and when you use them. Members should be able to ask a question without reading it. Let us show the ability of this House. Let us show what we can do by working together. As I say, new Members will need a bit of time, and I will work with all new Members and take that into account when I am in the Chair, but I urge every Member to study the guidance. Please read it. If any advice is needed, come and check with me and the Clerks.
On the criticism of other Members, in this place we are honourable Members, and the language that we use about each other should reflect that. If a Member falls short of the standards expected of us all, there are ways of dealing with that—not by accusations made as sideswipes during questions or debates. If we fail to treat each other with respect in debates, that diminishes our work. It also risks raising the temperature of discussions outside this place, particularly on social media, where discussions already too often descend into online abuse against hon. Members. My job is to look after all Members. If we show respect to each other here, I believe that the public should also show respect to Members, so please let us get it right and let us work together. I do not want people to agree with each other—this could be the most boring Chamber that I have ever seen, and that would not be good for me either—but please let us make tolerance and respect our main aim.
It is important that hon. Members can raise matters with me freely. For that reason, I keep such correspondence confidential. That includes applications for urgent questions. I remind hon. Members that it is equally important that my response, particularly on matters of privilege, is treated with the same respect.
I also wish to give some advice about seeking to speak in the Chamber. I take into account a number of factors when determining who to call. One of those is how often a Member speaks. In other words, if you have spoken much more than colleagues, others will be called before you; I ask Jim Shannon to remember that. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear!”] I think that falls on deaf ears—[Laughter.]—but colleagues are more likely to be called in the next debate for which they apply if they missed out in the last one.
I know that it can be frustrating not to be called in a debate, or to be called very late. Prioritising the debates, Question Times, urgent questions and statements in which you seek to participate is one way of trying to avoid that happening. Staff in my office can always offer further advice. It will be very frustrating for Government Members, as there are so many of you, so remember that. Do not take it out on my office; please blame me at any time.
Finally, I want all Members and everyone in the parliamentary community to be able to go about their work safely, both online and here in Westminster. The security of this building and those who work here depends on us all. We have a duty to be vigilant, and to assist those whose job it is to maintain this place as a safe place of work, but I also know that being a constituency MP is about meeting constituents and being able to represent them within our constituencies, and I take that seriously. Two Members lost their lives not in this House but in their constituency, so whatever I can do to support you, I will. Make sure that you follow all the security measures. I never want to receive another phone call like those I have previously, so please look after yourselves and follow the advice. Your families matter, your staff matter, and this House matters. Security is at the top of my agenda.
Before moving to the first business of the new Session, I express my best wishes to all hon. Members and all those who work in the House. I thank all the staff who have made this transition happen; I really appreciate it. Please, let us enjoy the next Session.
