Speaker of the House of Commons
 This article is a part of the Politics and Government of Ibagli series. |
| Executive |
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Monarch (King Charles III) |
| Legislative (Parliament) |
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House of Commons (Speaker) |
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Supreme Court (Chief Justice) |
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the lower house of the Ibaglian Parliament. The current Speaker of the House of Commons is Vincent Craddock.
The Speaker presides over debate in the House of Commons, oversees its staff, and acts as a liason with the Senate and the Crown. The Speaker is elected by a majority of MPs in a secret ballot.
History
The first Speaker of the House of Commons was Thomas Farnham, who had previously been the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ibagli. The role of the Speaker was primarily determined in the United Kingdom, where the first Speaker of the British House of Commons took office in 1376.
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.
From 1955 until 1994, the Speaker was elected by a plurality of the votes of the MPs. Since 1994, the Speaker has been required to gain a majority of the vote, using the successive majoritarian system, in which candidates receiving less than 5% of the vote or the candidate with the lowest number of votes is eliminated in each round of voting. Candidates are assumed to be nominated unless they issue a letter to the Father of the House stating that they do not wish to stand for election.
The election of the Speaker is presided over by the Father of the House, the longest serving member of the House. The current Father of the House is Raymond Litchfield, who was elected to the House in 1955.
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, 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.
If only one candidate is nominated, no ballot is held, and the House proceeds directly to a motion to appoint the candidate to the Speakership. This is the usual method for reelecting a Speaker, unless other candidates are nominated.
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 British Speaker, as representative of the Commons, could have been required to bear bad news to the Sovereign.
The Speaker-elect must seek the approval of the Sovereign or the Governor-General before taking office. If the election takes place at the beginning of a Parliament, the Speaker-elect gives an address to the Sovereign or Governor-General, a symbolic request seeking approval of his election and the privileges and rights of the House. After the Speaker-elect is approved and the rights of the house are confirmed, the Speech From the Throne is read. If the election takes place in the middle of a Parliament, the Speaker-elect will lead the Commons to the Senate chamber, where the Governor-General or their deputy will confirm the speakership.
Non-Partisanship
The Speaker is traditionally unopposed by major political parties in his bid to keep his seat.
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 some cases, individuals have served in ministerial or other political positions before being elected Speaker. Steven Spell, for instance, served as Attorney-General and Minister of Health in the governments of Henry LeVeque.
Presiding Officer
The primary function of the Speaker is to preside over the House of Commons. While presiding, the Speaker wears a black robe with a white cross collar and a full-bottomed wig. During Speaker's processions, the Speaker also wears a black tricorne hat.
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 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]." 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. 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.
Precedence and Privileges
The Speaker of the House of Commons ranks sixth in the Order of Precedence, directly beneath the Speaker of the Senate, and above ambassadors and high commissioners. Every day, the Speaker and other officials of the house travel in procession from the Speaker's chambers to the House. The procession consists of the Serjeant-at-Arms, the Speaker, the clerks of the house, and the Speaker's secretary. In the procession, the Serjeant-at-Arms 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."
List of Speakers of the House of Commons
| Name | Term |
|---|---|
| Sir Thomas Farnham | 1955–1963 |
| Sir Gregory Parks | 1963–1974 |
| Sir George Denham | 1974–1985 |
| Sir Steven Spell | 1985–1994 |
| Dame Hillary Wilson | 1994–1999 |
| Sir Steven Hardeman | 1999–2006 |
| Sir Brian Rodney | 2006–2017 |
| Vincent Craddock | 2017– |