Speaker of the House of Commons

Speaker of the House of Commons
Speaker of the House of Commons	Vacant
Deputy Speaker	Vacant
Chamber	House of Commons
Elected by	Members of Parliament
Deputy	Deputy Speakers
Role	Presiding officer, impartial

The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons. The Speaker chairs its debates, keeps order, calls members to speak and puts questions to the vote, and is the House's voice in its dealings with The Sovereign, the House of Lords and the outside world.

History

The office goes back to the fourteenth century. Early Speakers carried the Commons' messages to the King, sometimes at real risk to themselves, which is why a newly elected Speaker is still, by tradition, dragged reluctantly to the chair by other members.

Role

The Speaker is strictly impartial. On election they give up their party, and they do not speak in debates or vote, except to break a tie, when by convention they vote to allow more debate or to keep things as they are. The Speaker decides who may speak, whether an urgent question is granted, and whether a member has broken the rules of the House, and can order a member to withdraw remarks or leave the chamber.

In UKOGB the Speaker also runs the progress of every bill: setting the stage it has reached, opening and closing divisions, and keeping Hansard, the record of the House's proceedings, on the website at hoc.ukogb.co.uk.

Deputy Speakers

Deputy Speakers chair the House when the Speaker is away and have the same powers while they are in the chair. They are also impartial while serving.