How is the Speaker of the House of Commons elected?

On 4 November 2019, MPs elected Sir Lindsay Hoyle as Speaker of the House of Commons. 

When is the Commons Speaker elected?

A new Speaker is elected at the start of each Parliament (i.e. after every general election); after the resignation, death or retirement of the incumbent; or if the sitting Speaker ceases to be an MP for any other reason. The rules governing the election of the Speaker are set out in Standing Orders (the parliamentary rule book).

If the Speaker from the previous Parliament wants to keep their post at the start of a new Parliament, then convention has been that they will be allowed to stand unopposed. A motion to select them as Speaker is formally proposed. This vote is usually taken ‘by acclamation’ (verbally, by MPs shouting in support or opposition to the motion). If MPs audibly oppose the motion, a full vote takes place by division (a formal vote, where MPs walk through the voting lobbies). If the motion is defeated, an open election process for the new Speaker begins the next sitting day.

Who can stand to be Speaker?

In theory, any MP can stand to be Speaker. However, in practice, those on the frontbenches are unlikely to be able to convince the House that they could move directly from high party politics to the non-partisan role of the Speaker.

Candidates must be nominated, or ‘sponsored’, by 12 MPs (including at least three members from a different political party to the candidate), and each MP can only nominate one candidate. In 2019, at the last contested election, seven MPs put their name forward.  

Before 1992, the Speaker would usually come from the governing party at the time of their election. However, since then three Speakers (Betty Boothroyd, John Bercow and Lindsay Hoyle) have been elected from the opposition benches. 

In 2009 and 2019, candidates issued manifestos and took part in unofficial hustings, organised by the Hansard Society (although these may not be held if a Speaker needs to be elected swiftly – such as following a general election). Those hoping to be Speaker may stand on a specific platform or reform agenda. 

How do MPs elect a new Speaker?

In 2001, a new exhaustive secret ballot system was introduced to elect the Speaker, following recommendations made by the Commons Procedure Committee. However, as the first Speaker elected after the rule change – Michael Martin – stood unopposed, the new voting system was not used until 2009, during the election of John Bercow. 

The exhaustive voting system works as follows:  

1. On the day of the election, written nominations for candidates for Speaker must be submitted.
2. On the day of the election, the House meets at 2:30pm. The election is presided over by the Father of the House (the longest continuously serving MP – currently Peter Bottomley).
3. Each candidate addresses the House, with the order determined by lot.
4. MPs are given a printed list of candidates and cast a single vote for their preferred choice. 
5. If a single candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in the first round, a motion is put to the House asking MPs to confirm the appointment of the winning candidate as Speaker. This vote is usually by acclamation (verbally), but a formal vote will be held if there is audible opposition. If this motion is not passed, the entire process of selecting candidates and voting must start again.
6. If no candidate secures 50% of the vote in the first round, the candidate with the lowest number of votes (plus any candidates with fewer than 5% of the vote) are removed from the ballot. Any candidate can also withdraw within 10 minutes of the first-round results being announced.
7. MPs then vote again on the revised ballot paper, repeating the process until one candidate secures over 50% of the vote.
8. Once the winner has emerged, they are ‘reluctantly’ dragged to the Speaker’s chair by their main sponsors – a symbolic tradition originating from the time when the Speaker would often have the challenging job of mediating between Parliament and the Monarch.

How long does the process take?

The multiple rounds of voting usually take place over one day. The time taken depends on the number of candidates, and the number of rounds of voting. It can take many hours. For example, in 2019, candidates began addressing the House at 2:30pm, and Lindsay Hoyle was elected Speaker after four rounds of voting at 8:20pm.

It is estimated that each round of voting can take up to two hours.

Can Speakers be removed from office?

There are no formal means of removing a Speaker from office – meaning they can usually choose when to leave the post.

However, Speakers can sometimes come under pressure to resign. For instance, Speakers can be subject to votes of no confidence which, if lost, would make it extremely difficult for them to remain in post. In 2009, following outcry over the expenses scandal, Michael Martin resigned as Speaker in anticipation of losing a no confidence vote. John Bercow also came under pressure to resign, for perceived breaches of impartiality and following allegations about widespread bullying and harassment in Parliament. However, Bercow chose the date of his own departure, announcing in September 2019 that he would stand down at the end of the following month.

In 2015, the government made a controversial attempt to change the parliamentary rules. It proposed that any successful challenge to a vote to re-appoint the current Speaker by acclamation should be followed a vote taken by secret ballot, rather than by a standard vote in the division lobbies. This was aimed at unseating Bercow, by providing MPs greater political cover to vote against his reappointment in a secret ballot. MPs voted against changing the rules.

What happens to a retiring Speaker?

A retiring Speaker will usually vacate their seat as an MP, triggering a by-election. Former Speakers are usually given a peerage and sit in the House of Lords as a crossbench peer. This was not the case for John Bercow, who was not offered a peerage after he departed as Speaker, and who was, in 2022, found by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and Independent Expert Panel to have bullied staff.