The Hansard Society hosted two online hustings for the candidates in the 2021 Lord Speaker election. The first event, on 25 March, was chaired by the BBC's parliamentary correspondent Mark D'Arcy; and the second, on 13 April, was chaired by Jackie Ashley, former political correspondent and broadcaster.
All three candidates standing to be Lord Speaker took part in both events:
Each candidate had previously produced a statement and a video setting out why they were seeking the role.
Questions from Members of the House put to the candidates across the two hustings covered a range of themes including governance and the role of the Speaker; membership of the House (including the position of hereditary Peers); the future of virtual proceedings after the pandemic; communications and public engagement; relations with the devolved legislatures; and the Restoration and Renewal of Parliament.
In accordance with the election timetable published by the House of Lords, voting took place between 13 and 15 April.
On 21 April, it was announced that Lord McFall had won the election and been elected Lord Speaker, and that the Queen had confirmed the result in accordance with Standing Order No. 18.
The full election results (PDF) were published on the House of Lords website.
Lord McFall took office on 1 May 2021, for a five-year term. Owing to the prorogation of Parliament on 29 April, he will sit on the Woolsack for the first time on the first day of the new parliamentary session, on 11 May.
The 2021 hustings events continued the Hansard Society's involvement in Speaker hustings, after the Society previously hosted the official hustings for the Lord Speaker in 2011 and 2016. The Society also hosted the first-ever hustings for the Speakership of the House of Commons in 2009, and co-hosted hustings with the House Magazine for the most recent election of the Commons Speaker, in 2019.
The UK Spending Review outlines how Government funds will be allocated over several years. Unlike the Budget, which raises revenue, the Review decides how it is spent. But how is it approved? What role does Parliament play if it doesn’t vote on the Review itself? This blog explores how the Spending Review works, how it differs from the Budget, and how Parliament holds the Government to account through the Estimates process.
On Friday 13 June, the House of Commons will once again debate the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which would legalise assisted dying in England and Wales. Specifically, it will hold a second day of Report Stage, during which the whole House will debate and vote on amendments. This briefing explains the structure of Report Stage, what happened on the first day of Report Stage, how amendments are selected and grouped, on which amendments a decision can still be taken, and the likely sequence of events this Friday, including whether a final vote will take place.
The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves MP, will deliver a statement on the Spending Review. MPs will resume Report Stage of the assisted dying bill and debate key legislation on football governance, mental health, and planning and infrastructure. Peers and MPs are expected to resolve their standoff over AI and copyright in the Data (Use and Access) Bill. The Commons Defence Committee will hear from the lead reviewers of the Strategic Defence Review, while a Lords Committee will examine the Chagos Archipelago sovereignty issue. The Hansard Society’s Director will give evidence to the Modernisation Committee about access to the House of Commons and its procedures.
In this episode, we explore why ministers keep bypassing Parliament to make major announcements to the media — and whether returning to the Despatch Box might help clarify their message. We unpack the Lords' uphill battle to protect creators’ rights in the Data Use and Access Bill, challenge claims that the Assisted Dying Bill lacks scrutiny, and examine early findings from a Speaker’s Conference on improving security for MPs, as threats and intimidation against politicians continue to rise. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.
Our evidence on treaty scrutiny has been published by the House of Lords International Agreements Committee. Our submission outlines the problems with the existing framework for treaty scrutiny and why legislative and cultural change are needed to improve Parliament's scrutiny role. Our evidence joins calls for a parliamentary consent vote for the most significant agreements, a stronger role for Parliament in shaping negotiating mandates and monitoring progress, and a sifting committee tasked with determining which agreements warrant the greatest scrutiny.
