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Speaker of the British House of Commons

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Politics and government

   In the United Kingdom, the Speaker of the House of Commons is the
   presiding officer of the House of Commons, and is seen historically as
   the First Commoner of the Land. The current Speaker is The Right
   Honourable Michael Martin MP, who took office in 2000 and was
   re-elected on 5 May 2005 following the 2005 general election.

   The office of Speaker dates to the 14th century. The Speaker presides
   over the House's debates, determining which members may speak. The
   Speaker is also responsible for maintaining order during debate, and
   may punish members who break the rules of the House. Conventionally,
   the Speaker remains non-partisan, and renounces all affiliation with
   his or her former political party when taking office. The Speaker does
   not take part in debate nor vote (except to break ties, and even then,
   subject to conventions that maintain his or her non-partisan status).
   Aside from duties relating to presiding over the House, the Speaker
   also performs administrative and procedural functions, and remains a
   constituency Member of Parliament (MP).

   Historically, the Lord Chancellor presided in the Upper House of
   Parliament, the House of Lords. However, this function devolved to a
   separate person, the Lord Speaker, under the Constitutional Reform Act
   2005, in July 2006.

History

   The office of Speaker is almost as old as Parliament itself. The
   earliest year for which a presiding officer has been identified is
   1258, when Peter de Montfort presided over the Parliament held in
   Oxford. Early presiding officers were known by the title parlour or
   prolocutor. The first "Speaker" of the House of Commons was Sir Thomas
   Hungerford, who took office in 1376.

   Until the 17th century, members of the House of Commons often viewed
   their Speaker as an agent of the Crown. As Parliament evolved, however,
   the Speaker's position grew into one that involved more duties to the
   House than to the Crown; such was definitely the case by the time of
   the English Civil War. This change is sometimes said to be reflected by
   an incident in 1642, when King Charles I entered the House in order to
   search for and arrest five members for high treason. When the King
   asked him if he knew of the location of these members, the Speaker,
   William Lenthall, famously replied: "May it please your Majesty, I have
   neither eyes to see nor tongue to speak in this place but as the House
   is pleased to direct me, whose servant I am here."

   The development of Cabinet government under King William III in the
   late 17th century caused further change in the nature of the
   Speakership. Speakers were generally associated with the ministry, and
   often held other government offices. For example, Robert Harley served
   simultaneously as Speaker and as a Secretary of State between 1704 and
   1705. The Speaker between 1728 and 1761, Arthur Onslow, reduced ties
   with the government, though the office did remain to a large degree
   political. The Speakership evolved into its modern form—in which the
   holder is an impartial and apolitical officer who does not belong to
   any party—only during the middle of the 19th century.

   By convention Speakers are normally addressed in Parliament as Mr.
   Speaker (or Mr. Deputy Speaker for their deputies). When Betty
   Boothroyd, the first female speaker, presided, she was addressed as
   Madam Speaker.

   Over 150 individuals have served as Speaker of the House of Commons.
   Betty Boothroyd, who was elected in 1992 and served until 2000, was the
   first woman to fill the position. Her successor and the present
   incumbent, Michael Martin, is the first Roman Catholic to serve as
   Speaker since the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century.

Election

   Members of Parliament (MPs) elect the Speaker from amongst their own
   ranks. The House must elect a Speaker at the beginning of each new
   parliamentary term after a General Election, or after the death or
   resignation of the incumbent. Once elected, a Speaker continues in
   office until the dissolution of Parliament. Customarily, the House
   re-elects Speakers who desire to continue in office for more than one
   term. Theoretically, the House could vote against re-electing a
   Speaker, but such an event would be extremely unlikely.

   The procedure for electing a Speaker has changed in recent years. Until
   1971, the Clerk of the House of Commons became temporary Chairman of
   the House. As the Clerk is never a Member, he would silently stand and
   point at the Member who was to speak. However, this procedure broke
   down at the election of a new Speaker in 1971 (see below) and had to be
   changed. Since that time, as recommended by a Select Committee, the
   Father of the House (the member of the House with the longest period of
   unbroken service) becomes the presiding officer.

   Until 2001, the election of a Speaker was conducted as a routine matter
   of House of Commons business. A member would move "That Mr(s). [X] do
   take the Chair of this House as Speaker", and following debate (which
   may have included an amendment to replace the name of the member on
   whom the Speakership was to be conferred), a routine Division of the
   House would resolve in favour of one candidate. There was, however, a
   considerable amount of behind-the-scenes lobbying before suitable
   candidates were agreed upon, and so it was very rare for a new Speaker
   to be opposed. However, this system broke down in 2000 when 14 rival
   candidates declared for the job and the debate occupied an entire
   Parliamentary day. The House of Commons Procedure Committee then
   re-examined the means of electing a Speaker and recommended a new
   system which, as of 2005, has yet to be used.

   From 2001, candidates will need to be nominated by at least twelve
   members, of whom at least three must be of a different party than the
   candidate. Each member may nominate no more than one candidate. The
   House then votes by secret ballot; an absolute majority is required for
   victory. If no candidate wins a majority, then the individual with the
   fewest votes is eliminated, as are any candidates who receive less than
   five percent of the votes cast. The House continues to vote, for
   several rounds if necessary, until one member receives the requisite
   majority. Then, the House votes on a formal motion to appoint the
   member in question to the Speakership. (In the unlikely event that this
   motion fails, the House must hold a fresh series of ballots on all of
   the nominees.)

   If only one candidate is nominated, then no ballot is held, and the
   House proceeds directly to the motion to appoint the candidate to the
   Speakership. A similar procedure is used if a Speaker seeks a further
   term after a General Election: no ballot is held, and the House
   immediately votes on a motion to re-elect the Speaker. If the motion to
   re-elect the Speaker fails, candidates are nominated, and the House
   proceeds with voting (as described above).

   Upon the passage of the motion, the Speaker-elect is expected to show
   reluctance at being chosen; he or she is customarily "dragged" by
   colleagues to the Chair. This custom is a relic of the era when the
   Speaker, as representative of the Commons, could have been required to
   bear bad news to the Sovereign.

   The Speaker-elect must receive the Sovereign's approval, or the
   "approbation," before he or she may take office. On the day of the
   election, the Speaker-elect leads the Commons to the Chamber of the
   House of Lords, where Lords Commissioners appointed by the Crown
   confirm him or her in the monarch's name. Thereafter, the Speaker
   symbolically requests "in the name and on behalf of the Commons of the
   United Kingdom, to lay claim, by humble petition to Her Majesty, to all
   their ancient and undoubted rights and privileges, especially to
   freedom of speech in debate, to freedom from arrest, and to free access
   to Her Majesty whenever occasion shall require." After the Lords
   Commissioners, on the behalf of the Sovereign, confirm the Commons'
   rights and privileges, the Commons return to their Chamber. If a
   Speaker is chosen in the middle of a Parliament due to a vacancy in the
   office, he or she must receive the royal approbation as described
   above, but does not again lay claim to the Commons' rights and
   privileges.

   New Speakers are normally senior Members of Parliament from the
   government party (Betty Boothroyd was an exception as she was a Labour
   member of Parliament when the Conservative Party was still in power).
   After election, however, the Speaker ceases to be associated with his
   or her former party. Moreover, he or she continues to serve even if his
   or her former party loses power and becomes the Opposition. Michael
   Martin was the second consecutive ex-Labour Speaker, breaking a pattern
   of alternation between Labour and Conservative members which some claim
   had been established as a constitutional convention.

   At a general election (if the current Speaker contests that election)
   all major opposition parties do not contest the Speaker's seat and the
   Speaker is usually described as such; however since the election of
   Michael Martin (Lab, Glasgow, Springburn and then Glasgow North East),
   the SNP has not bowed to this convention and have contested the seat.
   Recent Elections where the Speaker was elected as the Speaker were:

   1997: West Bromwich West (Betty Boothroyd)
   Speaker 23,969 (65%) Labour, Time for Change 8,546 (23.28%) National
   Democrats 4,181 (11.39%)
   2001: Glasgow, Springburn (Michael Martin)
   Speaker 16,053 (67%) SNP 4,675 (19%) SSP 1,879 (8%) Scottish Unionist
   1,289 (5%) Independent 208 (1%)
   2005: Glasgow North East (Michael Martin)
   Speaker 15,153 (53%) SNP 5,019 (18%) Socialist Labour 4,036 (14%) SSP
   1,402 (5%) Scottish Unionist 1,266 (4%) BNP 920 (3%) Independent 622
   (2%)

Notable elections

   William Court Gully
   Enlarge
   William Court Gully

   Though the election of a Speaker is normally non-partisan, there have
   been several controversial elections in history. For example, in 1895,
   the sudden retirement of Arthur Peel came at a time when partisan
   feelings were running high. The Conservatives and Liberal Unionists put
   forward Sir Matthew White Ridley, a well-respected MP who had many
   years of experience, and hoped for a unanimous election as the previous
   Speaker had been a Liberal. However, the Liberals decided to oppose him
   and nominated William Court Gully who had been an MP for only nine
   years and had been a relatively quiet presence. On a party-line vote
   Gully was chosen by 285 to 274. Although Gully proved his impartiality
   to the satisfaction of most of his opponents, and was unanimously
   re-elected after the 1895 general election, the episode left many
   Unionists bitter. During that year's general election Gully became one
   of the few Speakers to be opposed in his own constituency, a sign of
   the bitterness of the time. It was not until the mid-1930s that it
   became common for a Speaker to face some form of opposition for
   re-election.

   The 1951 election was similarly controversial. After the incumbent
   Speaker, Douglas Clifton Brown, retired at the 1951 general election,
   there was a great demand from the Labour Party for Major James Milner
   to become the first Labour Speaker after he had served as Deputy
   Speaker for eight years. However, the Conservatives (who had just
   regained power) nominated William Shepherd Morrison against him. The
   vote again went down party lines, and Morrison was elected. Milner
   received a Peerage as compensation.

   In 1971, having had early warning that Horace King would be retiring,
   the Conservatives took the lead in offering to the Labour Party either
   Selwyn Lloyd or John Boyd-Carpenter as potential Speakers. The Labour
   Party chose Selwyn Lloyd partly because he was perceived as a weak
   figure. However, when the House of Commons debated the new Speaker,
   Conservative MP Robin Maxwell-Hyslop and Labour MP Willie Hamilton
   nominated Geoffrey de Freitas, a senior and respected backbench Labour
   MP. De Freitas was taken aback by the sudden nomination and urged the
   House not to support him (a genuine feeling, unlike the feigned
   reluctance which all Speakers traditionally show). Lloyd was elected
   but there was a feeling among all parties that the system of election
   needed to be overhauled. Now, a candidate's consent is required before
   he or she can be nominated.

   The last two instances of the election of a new Speaker (1992 and 2000)
   have both been relatively controversial. Bernard Weatherill had
   announced his impending retirement a long time before the 1992 general
   election, leading to a long but suppressed campaign for support. Betty
   Boothroyd, a Labour MP who had been Deputy Speaker, was known to be
   extremely interested in becoming the first woman Speaker (and in doing
   so, finished the chances of fellow Labour MP Harold Walker who had also
   been Deputy Speaker). The Conservative former Cabinet member Peter
   Brooke was put forward at a late stage as a candidate. Unlike previous
   elections, there was an active campaign among Conservative MPs to
   support Boothroyd and about seventy Members of Parliament did so,
   ensuring her election.

   Betty Boothroyd announced her retirement shortly before the summer
   recess in 2000, which left a long time for would-be Speakers to declare
   their candidature but little opportunity for Members of Parliament to
   negotiate and decide on who should be chosen. Many backbench Labour
   MPs, especially from Scotland, advanced the claims of Michael Martin as
   a long-serving Deputy Speaker. Most Conservatives felt strongly that
   the recent alternation between the main parties ought to be maintained
   and a Conservative Speaker chosen. The most prominent Conservative
   choices were Sir George Young and Deputy Speaker Sir Alan Haselhurst.
   With several maverick candidates announcing themselves, the total
   number of Members seeking the Speakership was 14, none of whom would
   withdraw. A lengthy sitting of the House saw Michael Martin first
   proposed, then each of the candidates proposed as an amendment which
   was voted down. In points of order before the debate, many members
   demanded a secret ballot.

Non-partisanship

   Upon election, the Speaker, by convention, breaks all ties with his or
   her political party, as it is considered essential that the Speaker be
   seen as an impartial presiding officer. In many cases, individuals have
   served in ministerial or other political positions before being elected
   Speaker. For example, Selwyn Lloyd and George Thomas (Speakers during
   the 1970s and early 1980s) had both previously served as high-ranking
   Cabinet members, whilst Bernard Weatherill (Speaker from 1983 to 1992)
   was previously a party whip.

   In General Elections, it is customary for the Speaker to stand without
   party affiliation. Since parties began being listed on ballot papers,
   the Speaker's affiliation is shown as "Speaker seeking re-election." In
   the past few decades, the Conservatives have not stood against Speakers
   seeking re-election, regardless of their previous political
   affiliation. Labour and the Liberal Democrats have stood against
   ex-Conservative Speakers, but not against ex-Labour ones. Most
   recently, in 2001 and 2005, the only major party to oppose the
   ex-Labour Speaker Michael Martin was the Scottish National Party. In
   the House, the Speaker does not vote on any motion, except in order to
   resolve ties. After leaving office, the Speaker normally takes no part
   in party politics; if elevated to the House of Lords, he or she would
   normally sit as a Cross-bencher.

   It has often been suggested that the Speaker's constituents may feel
   disenfranchised, for their parliamentary representative takes no part
   in partisan politics and does not vote in the House although still
   empowered to intercede on behalf of their constituents, as are other
   MPs. Thus, proposals have been made to create a separate constituency
   for the Speaker, called "St Stephen's" or "Palace of Westminster,"
   making the Speaker a Member representing Parliament itself. Such ideas,
   however, have yet to bear fruit.

Presiding officer

   The Speaker's primary function is to preside over the House of Commons.
   Whilst "in the Chair" (that is, presiding), the Speaker wears a uniform
   consisting of a black court suit and black robe with a train. On
   important ceremonial occasions, the black robe is replaced with a long
   black and gold robe with lace frills and lace jabot. Formerly, the
   Speaker also wore a full-bottomed wig when presiding and on other
   occasions; in 1992, however, Betty Boothroyd decided to end this
   practice. Her successor, Michael Martin MP, also eschewed the wig;
   moreover, he chose to simplify other aspects of the uniform, doing away
   with the once customary buckled court shoes and silk stockings.

   Whilst presiding, the Speaker sits at a chair in the front of the
   House. Traditionally, members of the Government sit on his right, and
   those of the Opposition on his left. The Speaker's powers are
   extensive, and are much more extensive than those of his or her Lords
   counterpart, the Lord Speaker. Most importantly, the Speaker calls on
   members to speak; no member may make a speech without the Speaker's
   prior permission. By custom, the Speaker alternates between members of
   the Government and of the Opposition. Members direct their speeches not
   to the whole House, but to the Speaker, using the words "Mister
   Speaker" or "Madam Speaker." Members must refer to each other in the
   third person; they may not directly address anyone other than the
   Speaker. In order to maintain his impartiality, the Speaker never makes
   any speeches.

   During debate, the Speaker is responsible for maintaining discipline
   and order. He or she rules on all points of order (objections made by
   members asserting that a rule of the House has been broken); the
   decisions may not be appealed. The Speaker bases decisions on the rules
   of the House and on precedent; if necessary, he or she may consult with
   the Parliamentary Clerks before issuing a ruling. In addition, the
   Speaker has other powers that he may use to maintain orderly debate.
   Usually, the Speaker attempts to end a disruption, or "calls members to
   order," by repeating "Order! Order!" If members do not follow his or
   her instructions, the Speaker may punish them by demanding that they
   leave the House for the remainder of the day's sitting. For grave
   disobedience, the Speaker may "name" a member, by saying "I name [Mr
   X]." (deliberately breaching the convention that members are only
   referred to by reference to their constituency, "The [Right] Honourable
   Member for [Y]"). The House may then vote to suspend the member "named"
   by the Speaker. In case of "grave disorder," the Speaker may
   immediately adjourn the entire sitting.

   In addition to maintaining discipline, the Speaker must ensure that
   debate proceeds smoothly. If the Speaker finds that a member is making
   irrelevant remarks, is tediously repetitive, or is otherwise attempting
   to delay proceedings, he or she may order the member to end the speech.
   The present Speaker, Michael Martin, has been especially active in this
   regard; in May 2004, for example, he rebuked the Prime Minister (Tony
   Blair) for answering a question on his policies by attacking those of
   the Opposition. Furthermore, before debate begins, the Speaker may
   invoke the "Short Speech" rule, under which he or she may set a time
   limit (at least eight minutes) which will apply to every speech. At the
   same time, however, the Speaker is charged with protecting the
   interests of the minority by ensuring sufficient debate before a vote.
   Thus, the Speaker may disallow a closure, which seeks to end debate and
   immediately put the question to a vote, if he or she finds that the
   motion constitutes an abuse of the rules or breaches the rights of the
   minority.

   Before the House votes on any issue, the Speaker "puts the question";
   that is, he or she verbally states the motion on which the members are
   to vote. He or she then assesses the result of a voice vote, but any
   member may demand a division (a recorded vote). The Speaker may
   overrule a request for a division and maintain the original ruling;
   this power, however, is used only rarely, usually when members make
   frivolous requests for divisions in order to delay proceedings.

   The Speaker does not vote in the division, except when the Ayes and
   Noes are tied, in which case he or she must use the casting vote. In
   exercising the casting vote, the Speaker may theoretically vote as he
   or she pleases, but, in practice, always votes in accordance with
   certain unwritten conventions. Firstly, the Speaker votes to give the
   House further opportunity to debate a bill or motion before reaching a
   final decision. (For example, the Speaker would be obliged to vote
   against a closure motion.) Secondly, any final decision should be
   approved by the majority. (Thus, for instance, the Speaker would vote
   against the final passage of a bill.) Finally, the Speaker should vote
   to leave a bill or motion in its existing form; in other words, the
   Speaker would vote against an amendment.

   Since the House of Commons is a very large body (with over 600
   members), Speakers are rarely called upon to use the casting vote.
   Since 1801, there have been only forty-nine instances of tied
   divisions. The last true tied vote was in 1980, when the House divided
   201-201 on a motion to grant leave to bring the Televising of
   Parliament Bill (the Speaker voted Aye). There was believed to be a
   317-317 vote on an amendment to a motion concerning the Maastricht
   Treaty in 1993, but it was quickly discovered that one extra "Aye" vote
   had been erroneously counted.

Other functions

   In addition to his role as presiding officer, the Speaker performs
   several other functions on the behalf of the House of Commons. He or
   she represents the body in relations with the Sovereign, the House of
   Lords, and non-parliamentary bodies. On important occasions of state
   (such as Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee in 2002), the Speaker
   presents Addresses to the Crown on behalf of the House.

   The Speaker performs various procedural functions. He or she may recall
   the House from recess during a national emergency, or when otherwise
   requested by the Government. When vacancies arise, the Speaker
   authorises the issuance of writs of election. Furthermore, the Speaker
   is responsible for certifying bills that relate solely to national
   taxation as " money bills" under the Parliament Acts. The House of
   Lords has no power to block or substantially delay a money bill; even
   if the Lords fail to pass the bill, it becomes law within a month of
   passage by the Commons. The Speaker's decision on the matter is final,
   and cannot be challenged by the Upper House.

   The Speaker is also responsible for overseeing the administration of
   the House. He or she chairs the House of Commons Commission, a body
   that appoints staff, determines their salaries, and supervises the
   general administration of those who serve the House. Furthermore, the
   Speaker controls the parts of the Palace of Westminster used by the
   House of Commons. Also, the Speaker is the ex officio Chairman of the
   four Boundary Commissions (for England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern
   Ireland), which are charged with redrawing the boundaries of
   parliamentary constituencies to reflect population changes. However,
   the Speaker normally does not attend meetings of the Boundary
   Commissions; instead, the Deputy Chairman of the Commission (usually a
   judge) normally presides.

   Finally, the Speaker continues to represent his or her constituency in
   Parliament. Like any other Member of Parliament, he or she responds to
   letters from constituents and attempts to address their concerns.

Deputies

   The Speaker is assisted by three deputies, all of whom are elected by
   the House. The most senior deputy is known as the Chairman of Ways and
   Means; the title derives from the now defunct Ways and Means Committee
   which formerly considered taxation-related bills. The remaining
   deputies are known as the First Deputy and Second Deputy Chairmen of
   Ways and Means. Typically, the Speaker presides for only three hours
   each day; for the remainder of the time, one of the deputies takes the
   Chair. Moreover, the Speaker never presides over the Committee of the
   Whole House, which, as its name suggests, consists of all the members,
   but operates under more flexible rules of debate. (This device was used
   so that members could debate independently of the Speaker, whom they
   suspected acted as an agent or spy of the monarch. Now, the procedure
   is used to take advantage of the more flexible rules of debate.)

   Deputies have the same powers as the Speaker when presiding. Akin to
   the Speaker, they do not take part in partisan politics, and remain
   completely impartial in the House. However, they are entitled to take
   part in constituency politics, and to make their views known on these
   matters. In General Elections, they stand as party politicians. If a
   Deputy Speaker is presiding, then he or she holds the casting vote
   instead of the Speaker.

Precedence and privileges

   The Speaker is one of the highest-ranking officials in the United
   Kingdom. By an Order-in-Council issued in 1919, the Speaker ranks in
   the order of precedence above all non-royal individuals except the two
   archbishops of the Church of England, the Prime Minister, the Lord
   Chancellor, and the Lord President of the Council.

   As of 2005, the Speaker receives a salary of £72,862, in addition to
   his or her salary as a Member of Parliament. The Speaker's salary is
   equal to that of a Cabinet Minister. The Speaker is also provided with
   official apartments in the Palace of Westminster, the home of both
   Houses of Parliament. Each day, prior to the sitting of the House of
   Commons, the Speaker and other officials travel in procession from the
   apartments to the Chamber. The procession includes the Doorkeeper, the
   Serjeant-at-Arms, the Speaker, a trainbearer, the Chaplain, and the
   Speaker's Private Secretary. The Serjeant-at-Arms attends the Speaker
   on other occasions, and in the House; he bears a ceremonial mace that
   symbolises the royal authority under which the House meets, as well as
   the authority of the House of Commons itself.

   Customarily, Speakers are appointed to the Privy Council upon election.
   Thus, the present and former Speakers are entitled to the style "The
   Right Honourable." Upon retirement, Speakers were traditionally
   elevated to the House of Lords as viscounts. The last Speaker to
   receive a viscountcy was George Thomas, who became Viscount Tonypandy
   upon his retirement in 1983. Since that year, it has instead been
   normal to grant only life baronies to retiring Speakers.

Current Speakers/Deputy Speakers

     * Speaker of the House of Commons: The Right Hon. Michael Martin
     * Deputy Speaker: The Right Hon. Sir Alan Haselhurst
     * Deputy Speaker: The Right Hon. Sir Michael Lord
     * Deputy Speaker: The Right Hon. Sylvia Heal

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