The Speaker of the House of Commons

The role and influence of the Speaker of the House of Commons - Raphi D, A3

One of the most high profile roles in Parliament in the last few years has been the Speaker of the House, a position currently held by Lindsay Hoyle, but formerly John Bercow. Bercow has been involved in managing many of the legislative and procedural issues regarding Brexit. But what exactly does the Speaker of the House do, and how much does the role influence British politics?

Dating back to 1377, the role of the Speaker has been one of risk; between 1394-1535, seven Speakers were beheaded because they were blamed for presenting news the King did not like. After the civil war in the 1640’s, the role of Speaker was in need of reform, however not much was done about it until the appointment of Speaker Arthur Onslow in 1728. He begun to distance the role away from Government, and as a result the speaker is above the party today. 

The Speaker is one of the highest ranking politicians in the UK, but also one of the only people who must abide by certain requirements which affect no-one else. Speakers have to be non-partisan and can’t continue to support their former parties once elected. They can only vote when there is a tie between the ‘Ayes and Noes’, and usually they vote in order to encourage further debate. Their most imperative role, however, is to maintain order in the House and punish those who break the rules. 

Due to the uncodified constitution and the flexibility it guarantees, the past ten years have allowed Bercow to have a more controversial role than his predecessors – he has significantly contributed to the influence of backbench MPs, and had say on Brexit amendments. This significant contribution has conflicted with the non-partisan nature of the role, and caused many Brexiteers to become angered over his actions, claiming that he had shown his personal opinion on this matter and in fact halted the UK from leaving the EU.

The legacy of John Bercow will continue to prevail for many years to come, and like the British constitution, the role of the Speaker will continue to evolve. However, the unprecedented nature of British politics, paired with the ongoing Brexit negotiations, simply that the role of Speaker will continue to come under scrutiny from ministers and MPs. There is a question of whether or not the new speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, will try and influence the way Parliament is run, rather than manage it; the fact that Bercow was speaker for ten years un-opposed implies that he became comfortable in his position; which allowed him the opportunity take risks. Lindsay Hoyle will not have this advantage so soon, and his actions in response to amendments to the Brexit deal will have a huge impact on the lives and welfare of British citizens for the next thirty years.