Tag: Lindsay Hoyle

The comments made by Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, in the House on 16 June 2026.

Colleagues, today we mark the 10th anniversary of the murder of our former colleague and friend to so many in this place, Jo Cox. Jo was proud to be the Member of Parliament for Batley and Spen. She was dedicated to serving her constituents and was a relentless campaigner for equality, human rights and social justice.

Jo’s death while carrying out her constituency duties shocked Members across the House. In my role as chair of the parliamentary security committee at the time of her death, and since then as Speaker, I have made it my personal mission to improve the security and safety of Members, their families and staff, because no Member should fear carrying out their democratic duties.

In remembering Jo today, I invite all the House to reflect on the words she shared during her maiden speech, when she said:

“we are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us.”

Our thoughts are with Jo’s family and friends on this day.

The comments made by Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, in the House on 15 June 2026.

Before we begin, I would like to pay tribute to Lord Hattersley, who died yesterday. Roy was a giant of the Labour movement, holding the role of deputy leader as well as serving as a Minister. He was a long-serving and dedicated Member of both Houses, working alongside my father Doug. He represented Birmingham Sparkbrook as its MP for more than three decades before being appointed to the House of Lords, where he served for two decades. Roy devoted his life to politics, public duty and writing. I am sure the thoughts of the whole House are with his family and friends.

The statement made by Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, in the House on 10 June 2026.

Before we come to Prime Minister’s questions, I know that the thoughts of the House will be with those affected by the events in Belfast this week. I should inform the House that charges have been brought against a man following the attack on Monday night. That case is now sub judice. It is possible that other charges will be brought, including in respect of events in Belfast in the aftermath. I am granting a full waiver to allow Members to discuss wider issues raised in the context of this incident. However, I must urge Members in the strongest terms not to discuss the details of any individual case. This includes not discussing any motive, nor the guilt or innocence of any individual. Members should avoid wider speculation that could be prejudicial in any future criminal trials.

The statement made by Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, on 13 May 2026.

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 behaviour code agreed by the House, and to behave with civility and fairness in all their dealings. Unacceptable behaviour that does not meet the standard of these codes will be dealt with seriously and 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 proceedings of this House; as private individuals, we are equal under the law with those whom we represent. This privilege is there to ensure that our constituents can be represented without fear or favour. It is an obligation upon all of us to exercise that privilege responsibly. The Speaker does not have the power to police the accuracy of Members’ contributions—unfortunately. [Laughter.] It is incumbent on all Members to be accurate in what they say in this House, and to correct any mistakes as soon as possible.

All Members, including Ministers, should take their responsibilities in this House seriously. I remind Ministers that the Government’s own ministerial code makes it clear that important policy announcements should be made in the first instance in this House when it is sitting—some people seem to have short memories. Both Front and Back Benchers must also adhere to the courtesies of this House. That includes informing other Members in advance of visits to their constituencies, except those for purely private purposes.

I remind all Members that it is important that they are able to raise matters with me and seek guidance from the Clerks freely. For that reason, any such conversations and correspondence should be treated as confidential. I want all Members and everyone in the parliamentary community to be able to go about their work safely online, here in Westminster, and in their constituencies. We have a duty to be vigilant and to assist those whose job it is to keep us safe.

Finally, I want to say something about how we treat each other and the language we use in the Chamber. What we say in this House, and how we say things, matters. It has an impact on colleagues, on those who follow our proceedings and on wider political discourse across the country. Members should be heard courteously, whatever their views, but in this place we are all honourable Members. While I expect robust political debate, I will not accept undignified language or improper criticism of individual Members. Our constituents expect us to focus on the very serious issues that they care about, rather than make cheap attacks on each other.

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, it diminishes our work and risks raising the temperature of discussions outside this place—particularly on social media—which too often descend into abuse against Members and others. I expect Members from all sides to treat each other with respect.

Before moving to the first business of the new Session, I would like to express my very best wishes to all hon. Members, and to thank all those who work for the House and for Members for their continuing support. They are the unsung heroes. I thank them all for working with Members and for working in this House.

The statement made by Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, on 20 April 2026.

Before we start today’s business, I want to make a brief statement about a security matter. I have been informed by the police that a former parliamentary employee was arrested last week under the Computer Misuse Act 1990. The police investigation is ongoing. As the House knows, we do not discuss the details of such issues on the Floor of the House—it is an ongoing criminal investigation. I do not intend to take points of order on the matter, and I will update Members when I am in a position to share more information.

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.