Sir Lindsay Hoyle | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Speaker of the House of Commons | |
| Assumed office 4 November 2019 | |
| Monarchs | |
| Prime Minister | |
| Preceded by | John Bercow |
| Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Chairman of Ways and Means | |
| In office 8 June 2010 – 4 November 2019 | |
| Speaker | John Bercow |
| Preceded by | Alan Haselhurst |
| Succeeded by | Eleanor Laing |
| Member of Parliament forChorley | |
| Assumed office 1 May 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Den Dover |
| Majority | 20,575 (60.6%) |
| Chorley BoroughCouncillor forAdlington | |
| In office 1 May 1980 – 7 May 1998 | |
| Preceded by | A. Moss |
| Succeeded by | Catherine Hoyle |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Lindsay Harvey Hoyle (1957-06-10)10 June 1957 (age 68) Adlington, Lancashire, England |
| Political party | Speaker (since 2019) |
| Other political affiliations | Labour (before 2019) |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent |
|
| Residence | Speaker's House |
| Occupation |
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| Signature |  |
Sir Lindsay Harvey Hoyle (born 10 June 1957)[1] is a British politician who has served asSpeaker of the House of Commons since 2019 and asMember of Parliament (MP) forChorley since1997. Before his election as speaker, he was a member of theLabour Party.
As a Labour MP, Hoyle served asChairman of Ways and Means and a deputy speaker toJohn Bercow from 2010 to 2019, before beingelected as Speaker on 4 November 2019.[2] Hoyle was unanimously re-elected as Speaker after both the2019 general election and the2024 general election.[3][4]
Hoyle was appointed aKnight Bachelor in the2018 New Year Honours for parliamentary and political services.[5]
Lindsay Hoyle was born on 10 June 1957 inAdlington, the son of the future Labour MPDoug Hoyle (later Lord Hoyle) and Pauline Spencer.[6] He went to Adlington County School and Lord's College inBolton.[1][7] Prior to being elected as an MP, he ran his owntextile andscreen printing business.[6][8]
In the1980 local elections, Hoyle was elected as the Labour councillor for the ward of Adlington onChorley Borough Council, defeating the sitting Conservative.[6] He was re-elected four times, and served as Deputy Leader from 1994 to 1997.[9] After being elected as an MP at the1997 general election, he ended his time on the council as the annual mayor before stepping down at thelocal election in 1998.[10]
In February 1996, Hoyle was chosen as the Labour candidate forChorley at the1997 general election; he was elected to Parliament as MP for Chorley with 53% of the vote and a majority of 9,870.[11]
In the days after the death ofDiana, Princess of Wales, in August 1997, Hoyle asked for a new national children's hospital to be built as a memorial to her.[12] A few days later, Hoyle wrote to airport operatorBAA, operators of LondonHeathrow Airport, urging them to change the airport's name to Diana, Princess of Wales Airport.[13] However, neither proposal was carried out.[14]
Hoyle served as a member of theTrade and Industry Committee (later theBusiness Committee) from 1998 to 2010 and as a member of theEuropean Scrutiny Committee from 2005 to 2010.[1][15] He was previously the Honorary President of the All-Party British Gibraltar Group in Parliament (of which his father was the Treasurer) and a Vice Chair of the All-Party British Virgin Islands Group.[16][1][17]
Hoyle was re-elected as MP for Chorley at the2001 general election with a decreased vote share of 52.3% and a decreased majority of 8,444.[18] He was again re-elected at the2005 general election with a decreased vote share of 50.7% and a decreased majority of 7,625.[19]
Hoyle clashed with then Prime MinisterTony Blair over issues such as Gibraltar and tuition fees. Regarding those clashes, Hoyle would say "I'm not anti-Tony; he made us electable and won three times. But there are principles and promises you don't break".[6]
Hoyle voted against theLisbon Treaty in 2008.[20] He is one of the few MPs who have not revealed whether they voted Leave or Remain in the 2016 referendum.[21]
At the2010 general election, Hoyle was again re-elected with a decreased vote share of 43.2% and a decreased majority of 2,593.[22][23]
Hoyle was electedDeputy Speaker of the House of Commons andChairman of Ways and Means on 8 June 2010,[1] the first time this appointment had been made by ballot of MPs, rather than by nomination of the Leader of the House.[2] He was appointed to thePrivy Council in January 2013.[24]
On 20 March 2013, Hoyle won wide public acclaim for his handling of the Budget proceedings, which were frequently interrupted by jeering MPs.[25]
Hoyle was again re-elected at the2015 general election, with an increased vote share of 45.1% and an increased majority of 4,530.[26][27]
In February 2017, Hoyle scoldedSNP MPs for singing theEuropean Anthem during the vote for theBrexit bill in the House of Commons, stating that he did not want parliament to turn into a sing-off.[28] The same night, he had a clash with former Scottish First MinisterAlex Salmond in a heated exchange over whether Hoyle had cut off an SNP MP while speaking.[29]
In March 2017, Hoyle called on social media companies to take swifter action to crack down on offensive posts, arguing it "it could damage democracy and deter women from certain backgrounds from becoming MPs".[30]
Hoyle was in the Speaker's Chair during theterrorist attack in Westminster on 22 March 2017, and the subsequent suspension andlockdown of the Commons.[31]
At the snap2017 general election, Hoyle was again re-elected with an increased vote share of 55.3% and an increased majority of 7,512.[32]
Hoyle was appointed aKnight Bachelor in the2018 New Year Honours for parliamentary and political services.[5]
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On 4 November 2019, Hoyle entered theelection for Speaker to replaceJohn Bercow. In the days leading up to the election, Hoyle was consistently seen by the media as the front runner. He maintained a substantial lead in the first, second, and third ballots of the election, but without reaching the required 50% to win outright.[33]
Hoyle was elected Speaker on the fourth ballot, defeatingChris Bryant and winning 325 votes out of a total of 540 cast. Hoyle then duly received royal approbation in theHouse of Lords. In accordance with convention that the Speaker's post is strictly non-partisan, following the election Hoyle rescinded his Labour membership.[34]
In his acceptance speech, Hoyle stated that "this House will change, but it will change for the better", and stated that he would be a "transparent" Speaker, also pledging to take the welfare of House of Commons staff seriously.[35]
At the2019 general election, Hoyle was again re-elected with an increased vote share of 67.3% and an increased majority of 17,392.[36]
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On 16 October 2021, Hoyle accompaniedBoris Johnson,Keir Starmer andPriti Patel in laying wreaths at the church inLeigh-on-Sea,Essex where MPDavid Amess wasmurdered the day before.[37]
In September 2022, Hoyle described thestate funeral of QueenElizabeth II as "the most important event the world will ever see".[38][39] Hoyle's comments received criticism. Graham Smith, CEO of therepublican campaign groupRepublic, responded by saying that it was "one of the most stupid things the world has ever heard".[40] In theIndy100, Liam O'Dell wrote that Hoyle was ignoring current issues like the ongoingcost of living crisis andRussian invasion of Ukraine.[41]
In December 2022, Hoyle voiced opposition to his former party's plan of replacing theHouse of Lords with an elected upper chamber.[42]
On 9 May 2023, Hoyle unveiled two newstained glass windows in theSpeaker's House, at thePalace of Westminster. One featuring his new personal coat of arms, with a rugby league ball, bees andLancashire roses. The other window celebrates Britain'sCoat of Arms of all threeCrown Dependencies and all sixteenBritish Overseas Territories. Hoyle said at the unveiling the windows were and "will forever be tangible reminders of the strong, close links between theUnited Kingdom, the overseas territories and the crown dependencies".[43] Adding "The two windows represent part of our United Kingdom family".[44]
Hoyle was again re-elected in the2024 general election, with an increased vote share of 74.3% and an increased majority of 20,575.[45] On 9 July 2024 he was re-elected unopposed as speaker.[46]
On 21 February 2024, Conservative MPWilliam Wragg tabled anEarly day motion (EDM) in the House of Commons stating "That this House has no confidence in Mr Speaker". By 20 March the EDM had gained the support of 92 MPs,[47] including1922 Committee chairman SirGraham Brady and parliamentary leader of theSNPStephen Flynn.[47][48][49] The motion effectively requests the Speaker to resign from his role.[50][51] An SNP motion calling for an immediate ceasefire inGaza had been submitted on one of the rareopposition days allotted to them. Hoyle was accused of breaking long-standing convention rules of the House and ignoring his own clerk's legal advice by allowing a vote on each of the amendments from the Government and theOfficial Opposition (normally, whenopposition day motions are considered, only an amendment from the Government is selected). The Speaker's selection of amendments was viewed as partisan towards Labour. The Government withdrew their amendment at the last moment, ensuring that a vote would not take place in theDivision lobby, instead Labour's non-binding amendment was nodded through by default, without a vote. Hoyle later offered his regret and gave his apologies to the House and stated his intention to meet party leaders and whips, "to discuss the way forward".[52][53][54]
The Daily Telegraph was critical of Hoyle's actions saying, "Lindsay stands accused of being partisan towards his former party — Labour" adding that Hoyle had previously "made it clear he wants to stay as Speaker after the election," the inference being that Labour would withdraw support for his re-election if their preferred amendment of a humanitarian ceasefire[55] was denied.[56][57] The Speaker was forced to deny in the Chamber that he had had a meeting with Labour advisorSue Gray but admitted to meetingKeir Starmer, prior to his controversial amendment decision. Starmer said he "simply urged" the Speaker to ensure there was the "broadest possible debate" over calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.[58][59]
The day after the debate, the Speaker attempted to placate Stephen Flynn, by renewing his apologies and offering the SNP an emergency debate underStanding Order 24.[60][61] Flynn responded that he and his party had "no confidence" in the Speaker and he subsequently added his signature to Wragg's EDM.[62][47]
The SNP tabled a new motion, for an emergency debate on an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Israel, calling on the UK Government to take "concrete steps" to push for a ceasefire. Hoyle rejected the new motion on 26 February and Flynn renewed his call for Hoyle to immediately step down. Flynn told thePA news agency: "Last week the Speaker of the House of Commons broke the rules, this week he has broken his word."[63][64] A "furious" Flynn said, "If 30,000 dead Palestinians aren't worthy of an emergency debate – what is?"[65] On 27 February, threePlaid Cymru MPs added their support to the "No confidence motion" followed in March by Independent MPCrispin Blunt.[66][47] On 13 March,Lee Anderson, sitting as a Reform UK MP, withdrew his previous support for the EDM while sitting as a Conservative.
On 13 March 2024, Labour backbencherDiane Abbott, sitting as anIndependent MP at the time, criticised Hoyle for denying her the opportunity to ask a question duringPrime Minister's Questions, when she was referred to byRishi Sunak and Keir Starmer in relation toFrank Hester's alleged racist comments made about her in 2019.[67] On 46 separate occasions she rose to her feet, to catch the Speaker's attention, but was ignored. She later posted that "Hoyle had failed both the Commons and democracy."[68] Hoyle's spokesperson responded by saying that PMQs "takes place within a limited time frame, with the Chair prioritising members who are already listed on the order paper. This week – as is often the case – there was not enough time to call all members who wanted to ask a question".[68]
Hoyle lives inAdlington, Lancashire.[69] As Speaker of the House of Commons he has an official residence atSpeaker's House, at the northeast corner of thePalace of Westminster, which is used for official functions and meetings[70] and which has private accommodation in a four-bedroom apartment upstairs.[71]
Hoyle has been married twice and has had two daughters.[6] He was married from 1974 to Lynda Anne Fowler; they divorced in 1982.[1] In June 1993, Hoyle married Catherine Swindley, who succeeded him as the Labour Councillor for Adlington in May 1998.[9][10] He has also employed his wife as his part-time constituency secretary.[72] Hoyle's elder daughter, Emma Fox, used to work at his constituency office, in which capacity she represented him atChorley Borough Council.[72][73][74][75][76]
Hoyle and ConservativeMaldon District Councillor Miriam Lewis also had a daughter, Natalie Lewis-Hoyle, a Conservativeparish councillor who was found hanged in her bedroom, in December 2017, at the age of 28. Hoyle said he was "truly devastated" by her death.[77][78] An inquest subsequently returned anopen conclusion verdict as to the cause of her death.[79][80] Shortly before the 2019 general election, he revealed that he had been diagnosed withtype 1 diabetes.[81]
Away from politics, he is a supporter of his local football league team,Bolton Wanderers,[82] andrugby league teamWarrington Wolves. He served as president of theRugby Football League between 2022 and 2024.[83][84]
Hoyle has described himself as an animal lover and has a number of pets, which he has named after notable figures in British political history. Amongst them are his parrot Boris (after former Conservative Prime MinisterBoris Johnson), his tortoise Maggie (afterMargaret Thatcher) and Attlee (Clement Attlee), his brown tabbyMaine Coon cat who spends time in the House of Commons.[85][86] In July 2024, he announced the addition of another cat called Clem, a black cat with Bengal markings, and suggested, "I think we should have cats across the House that look after the rodent population".[86] He also operates anInstagram page for Attlee, where he regularly shares pictures of the cat in the House of Commons.[87] On 15 February 2024 Hoyle presented aGuinness World Record certificate to the 192-year-old giant tortoiseJonathan, the world's oldest living land animal, during a visit to the island ofSt Helena.[88]
From his father's ennoblement in 1997 he was entitled to the style of The Honourable. He gained the style of The Right Honourable when sworn into thePrivy Council on 12 February 2013.[89] Hoyle was appointed as theChancellor of theUniversity of Gibraltar in 2020.[90]
Hoyle's fatherDoug Hoyle died in April 2024 at the age of 98.[91][92][93]
In January 2025 Hoyle made a guest appearance, in a cameo role as a Lancastrian rambler, in the ITV soap operaEmmerdale, to celebrate its 10,000th episode.[94]
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| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forChorley 1997–present | Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Chairman of Ways and Means 2010–2019 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Speaker of the House of Commons 2019–present | Incumbent |
| Academic offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chancellor of theUniversity of Gibraltar 2020–present | Incumbent |
| Order of precedence in England and Wales | ||
| Preceded byasLord President of the Council | Gentlemen as Speaker of the House of Commons | Succeeded byasLord Speaker |
| Order of precedence in Northern Ireland | ||
| Preceded by SirKeir Starmer asPrime Minister | Gentlemen as Speaker of the House of Commons | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| People | |
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