Tag: Lindsay Hoyle

The statement made by Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, in the Commons on 17 November 2025.

Minister, it is not normal for a Budget to have been put in the press. This is the hokey-cokey Budget: one minute something is in, the next minute it is out. I am very worried. The previous Government also had to be reprimanded for leaking. It is not good policy. At one time, a Minister would have resigned if anything was released. This House should be sacrosanct, and all decisions should be heard here first. Please do pass on the message.

The statement made by Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, in the House on 2 June 2025.

Before we come to the next piece of business, I will make a brief statement. This morning, the Government published the strategic defence review. The Prime Minister made a speech and held a press conference in Glasgow, in addition to other media appearances. That follows several days of media briefing. I am disappointed that, once again, the Government appear to have breached the principle set out in paragraph 9.1 of the “Ministerial Code” that

“When Parliament is in session, the most important announcements of government policy should be made in the first instance in Parliament.”

I recognise that the timing of policy announcements is not always wholly within the Government’s control. There may be a need to co-ordinate announcements on international trade with trading partners, for example, or announcements may be delayed by last-minute legal intervention. The announcement of the SDR, however, was wholly at the Government’s discretion, so it is highly regrettable that Ministers have chosen, once again, to hold a major media event before coming to the House. That shows complete disregard for the House and for hon. Members. I note that Ministers, when they were in opposition, were not slow to complain when previous Governments made major policy announcements outside Parliament. In fact, the SDR was due at Easter, so I am sure that a day would not have mattered.

I am not responsible for compliance with the ministerial code, which is a matter for the Prime Minister—it is the Government’s code, not the House’s code—but I regard this as a particularly blatant breach. I have invited the hon. Member for North Dorset (Simon Hoare) to consider whether the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee might usefully inquire into the matter.

Ministers are elected as Members of Parliament first, before they get their ministerial roles, so they should recognise the importance of the House. It is amazing that, in opposition, Members think that everything should be discussed on the Floor of the House, but when they are in government, their memories are short on that point.

I have been here through many SDRs. In fact, in one of the major SDRs with Lord Robertson, we did not even know the effect on everybody’s constituency until it was read out from that Dispatch Box. What has changed? I will tell you what has changed: the disregard for Members who sit on the Back Benches. I am here to defend those on the Back Benches, so please, I hope we have no more of this.

All I would say is that it is the Government’s ministerial code. They should be ashamed of not enforcing it.

The statement made by Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, in the House on 22 April 2025.

Before we begin, I am sure the whole House will wish to join me in remembering the life and service of His Holiness Pope Francis. He was both a humble man and a charismatic leader who was unafraid to confront some of the greatest challenges facing the world. He will be deeply missed by those of all faiths around the world, and in particular our thoughts are with members of the Roman Catholic community throughout the United Kingdom as they mourn his passing.

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.

The speech made by Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, in the House on 9 July 2024.

First, I thank my constituents of Chorley for returning me to this House and allowing me to put myself forward again as Speaker. It is an honour to serve the people of Chorley, as I have done steadfastly for the last 44 years, as a councillor on the local authority and then as their Member of Parliament for the past 27 years. I also thank my wife Catherine and daughter Emma, and the staff in the constituency office in Chorley, for all their support.

Of course, it was the first time in my political career that I campaigned without hearing the wise words of my late father Doug, giving me his opinions on how to campaign—he was always going to give me that, whatever the polls were doing and whatever needed to be said. I can still hear him now, saying, “Don’t stop now. You have to keep going.” I must say, after 25,000 steps a day during the campaign, I certainly did that.

I want to give a warm welcome to all the new Members of the House. I also welcome Sir Edward Leigh to his new role as Father of the House, and Diane Abbott to her place as Mother of the House. Sir Edward, you have served this place and your constituents for 41 years. Diane, you have served for 37 years, and broken many glass ceilings along the way. I thank the former Father of the House, Sir Peter Bottomley, and of course the former Mother of the House, Baroness Harriet Harman, for the support they gave me during my speakership.

Sir Edward, I know you are a man who respects traditions. Indeed, when you ran for Speaker in 2019, you were keen to bring back the use of the wig by the Speaker. Hopefully, though, you will look kindly on me and agree that I still have a decent enough head of hair, although not quite as luscious as that of the former Member for Lichfield—[Laughter.] You know I am only joking, Michael! I was thinking just the other day, Sir Edward, that you must be the only person who went to bed last Thursday evening as a father of six children, and woke up the father of 649.

On a serious note, it has been an absolute privilege to serve this House as the 158th Speaker. I must say that four and a half years have flown. With the authority of the Chair comes great responsibility, which is something I have never taken lightly or for granted.

I know from experience that decisions have consequences, but with experience comes wisdom, and if re-elected, I will be guided by that experience as I continue to be fair, impartial and independent.

To say that I had the most unusual speakership in the last Parliament is an understatement, from ensuring that the House could function during the covid pandemic —new Members might want to google the Rees-Mogg conga—to adapting technology developed during covid to allow President Zelensky to be the first world leader to broadcast to MPs in this Chamber. It was, of course, an honour to represent this House at the lying in state of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, to present the address to the new King in Westminster Hall, and to attend his coronation. Needless to say, in this role, you need staying power. I have already been Speaker during the tenure of three Prime Ministers, two monarchs—and one Jim Shannon! [Laughter.]

There has never been a dull moment; it is an incredible job, which I want to continue. There is so much more still to do, because I care about the reputation and the standards of this House. I care about enabling the Government to do their job in this Chamber, and about enabling the Opposition to hold the Government to account. I care about supporting Back Benchers to pursue issues that are important to their constituencies— as someone who was a Back-Bench Member for many years, I know how important that is—and I care about you individually, both as Members who have a job to do in this building and as people trying to do those jobs with constituents, staff and families to consider. I have worked tirelessly, and will continue to do so, to keep Members safe, which is the fundamental part of protecting democracy. On that basis, I submit myself to the House as your Speaker, seeking to be your champion.

The statement made by Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, on 22 February 2024.

I will also come in at this point. I reiterate that I made a judgment call that did not end up in the position where I expected it to. I regret it and I apologise to the SNP—[Interruption.] Just bear with me. I apologise to the House. I made a mistake: we do make mistakes and I own up to mine. We can have an SO24 to get an immediate debate because the debate is so important to the House.

I will defend every Member in this House. Every Member matters to me in this House. As has been said, I never, ever want to go through a situation where I pick up a phone to find a friend, on whatever side, has been murdered by a terrorist. I also do not want another attack on this House—I was in the Chair on that day. I have seen, I have witnessed. I will not share the details, but the details of the things that have been brought to me are absolutely frightening for all Members of the House, on all sides. I have a duty of care and I say that. If my mistake is looking after Members, I am guilty. I am guilty because—[Interruption.]—I have a duty of care that I will carry out to protect people; it is the protection that led me to make a wrong decision. With the risk being put on all Members at the moment, I had serious meetings yesterday with the police on these issues and on threats to politicians as we head towards an election. I do not want anything to happen again.

Yes, I will apologise, as I always will when I make a mistake as I did. I offer an SO24—that is within my gift and power—but I will also do whatever it is to protect anybody in this Chamber or anybody who works in this House. That is my duty of care.

The statement made by Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, in the House on 7 November 2023.

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 hon. Members of their duty to observe the code of conduct agreed by the House and to behave with civility and fairness in all their dealings. The behaviour code applies to Members as it applies to others who visit or work within Parliament, and it provides very clear guidance. 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. It is there to ensure that our constituents can be represented by us without fear or favour. It is an obligation upon us all to exercise that privilege with responsibility.

I now come to the accuracy of Members’ contributions, which is more tricky. The Speaker does not have the power to police the accuracy of Members—[Hon. Members: “Shame.”] It may be a shame, but these are the facts. The Speaker does not have the power to police the accuracy of Members’ contributions, including those of Ministers. It is therefore incumbent on Members to be accurate in what they say in this House, but if a Member is inaccurate by mistake, they should correct that mistake as soon as possible.

Let us now turn to courtesy and temperate language. Members must also be mindful of the impact of what we say, not only on other Members but on those who follow our proceedings, and Members should be heard courteously whatever their views. I draw the House’s attention to the guidance on rules of behaviour and courtesies in the House of Commons. A new version for this Session is now available, clarifying those areas.

Turning to criticism of Members, in this place we are honourable Members, and the language 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, but not by accusations made as sideswipes during questions or debates. If we fail to treat each other with respect in debate, that diminishes our work, but it also risks raising the temperature of discussions outside this place, particularly on social media, which already too often descend into online abuse against hon. Members.

It is so important that hon. Members are able to raise matters with me freely. For that reason, I keep such correspondence confidential, including applications for urgent questions. I remind Members that it is equally important that my responses, particularly on matters of privilege, are treated with the same respect. I hope that certain Members are listening.

I also wish to give some advice about seeking to speak within the Chamber. The Deputy Speakers and I take into account a number of factors when determining whom we call during business that is not balloted, and one factor we consider carefully is how often a Member speaks. In other words, if you have spoken much more than a colleague then, other things being equal, that colleague is more likely to be called—or certainly more likely to be called earlier—especially in the next debate for which you both apply. [Hon. Members: “Poor Jim!”] Don’t worry; I am coming to him. [Laughter.]

I know that it can be frustrating not to be called in a debate, or to be called very late. That frustration may continue, but putting it on Twitter is not a good way of trying to be called earlier. My response will be that I cannot call you earlier because you have already told the world, so think carefully before using Twitter to try to intimidate the Speaker. Prioritising debates, question times, urgent questions and statements in which you seek to participate is one way of trying to avoid that happening.

Now that we have started a new Session, the reset button starts everybody’s scores at zero. That even includes Jim Shannon—[Laughter.] I should make it clear that when counting scores, different principles apply to Front Benchers from the three largest parties who are nominated to speak on behalf of their parties. Staff in my office are happy to offer further advice and help.

Let us come to something very important: security and safety. 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. Yes, we are Members of Parliament and we were elected to be here, but remember that those who carry out security duties here are doing so to ensure that we are all safe. Please, try not to abuse them—you should not abuse them—and do not take advantage of your position.

Before moving to the first business of the new Session, I would like to express my very best wishes to all hon. Members and all those who work in this House. I thank the staff of the House, whether they work in security or elsewhere. They are looking after us, so please realise that they have a job to do. I thank all the catering staff, because without them we could not function properly.

The statement made by Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, on 27 February 2023.

Not only was Betty Boothroyd an inspiring woman, but she was also an inspirational politician, and someone I was proud to call my friend.

To be the first woman speaker was truly groundbreaking and Betty certainly broke that glass ceiling with panache.

She was from Yorkshire, and I am from Lancashire – so there was always that friendly rivalry between us. But from my point of view, it was heartening to hear a Northern voice speaking from the Chair.

She stuck by the rules, had a no-nonsense style, but any reprimands she did issue were done with good humour and charm.

Betty was one of a kind. A sharp, witty and formidable woman – and I will miss her.

The statement made by Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, in the House on 15 December 2022. The speech made by Anthony Eden is available here.

Before we start our business, I wish to invite the House to commemorate a tragic and sombre event. On 17 December 1942—80 years ago, on Saturday—the then Foreign Secretary, Anthony Eden, read to the House a declaration issued by the wartime allies condemning the treatment of Jewish people by the Nazis in occupied Europe. The declaration followed a diplomatic note sent to the allied powers a week earlier, by the Polish Foreign Minister in exile—the first official report that the holocaust was under way. The evil acts described in the declaration were, and remain, difficult to comprehend. It said:

“From all the occupied countries Jews are being transported, in conditions of appalling horror and brutality, to Eastern Europe…None of those taken away are ever heard of again. The able-bodied are slowly worked to death in labour camps. The infirm are left to die of exposure and starvation, or are deliberately massacred in mass executions.”

After the Foreign Secretary read the declaration and was questioned on it, the Member for Islington South, William Cluse, asked:

“Is it possible, in your judgement, Mr. Speaker, for Members of the House to rise in their places and stand in silence in support of this protest against disgusting barbarism?”

Speaker FitzRoy replied:

“That should be a spontaneous act by the House as a whole.”

Hansard records that

“Members of the House then stood in silence.”—[Official Report, 17 December 1942; Vol. 385, c. 2083-2087.]

A journalist covering the event said:

“I have never seen anything like this silence which was like the frown of the conscience of mankind.”

Today, we are honoured to be joined in the Gallery by seven survivors of the holocaust, representatives of Britain’s Jewish community and the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. As an exception, and because this is such a poignant moment, I have agreed that the Parliamentary Broadcasting Unit and our House of Commons photographer can capture images of them here today.

To remember that important moment, and as a tribute to all those who suffered at the hands of the Nazis, I now invite the House to join me for a minute of silent reflection.

The House observed a one-minute silence.