– in the House of Commons at 4:23 pm on 22 January 2024.
Alexander Stafford
Conservative, Rother Valley
4:23,
22 January 2024
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. At the end of last year, I raised the issue of other Members of this House being active in my Constituency without notifying me. Unfortunately that is continuing, and Yvette Cooper and Paul Blomfield were out in Rother Valley on Saturday. It is worth noting that other hon. Members were also in Rother Valley, but they did notify me. Since I notified the two Members that I would be raising this point of order, the right hon. Member for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford has sent her apologies, which I have accepted. Thank you, Mr Speaker, for clarifying the situation on people going into other constituencies earlier today. I hope that people visiting other people’s seats is not turning into a habit.
Lindsay Hoyle
Speaker of the House of Commons, Chair, Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, Chair, Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, Chair, House of Commons Commission, Chair, Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, Chair, Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, Chair, Speaker's Conference (2022) Committee, Chair, Speaker's Conference (2022) Committee, Chair, Restoration and Renewal Client Board Committee, Chair, Restoration and Renewal Client Board Committee
I am glad that the hon. Gentleman acknowledged the statement that I made, which I think was pretty comprehensive for Members from all parts of the House. Election fever has taken over—I had not even noticed that the election had been called—but I hope that Members can calm down a little and give due respect to each other’s constituencies, whatever party they belong to. Please, treat others as you wish to be treated.
The Speaker is an MP who has been elected to act as Chairman during debates in the House of Commons. He or she is responsible for ensuring that the rules laid down by the House for the carrying out of its business are observed. It is the Speaker who calls MPs to speak, and maintains order in the House. He or she acts as the House's representative in its relations with outside bodies and the other elements of Parliament such as the Lords and the Monarch. The Speaker is also responsible for protecting the interests of minorities in the House. He or she must ensure that the holders of an opinion, however unpopular, are allowed to put across their view without undue obstruction. It is also the Speaker who reprimands, on behalf of the House, an MP brought to the Bar of the House. In the case of disobedience the Speaker can 'name' an MP which results in their suspension from the House for a period. The Speaker must be impartial in all matters. He or she is elected by MPs in the House of Commons but then ceases to be involved in party politics. All sides in the House rely on the Speaker's disinterest. Even after retirement a former Speaker will not take part in political issues. Taking on the office means losing close contact with old colleagues and keeping apart from all groups and interests, even avoiding using the House of Commons dining rooms or bars. The Speaker continues as a Member of Parliament dealing with constituent's letters and problems. By tradition other candidates from the major parties do not contest the Speaker's seat at a General Election. The Speakership dates back to 1377 when Sir Thomas Hungerford was appointed to the role. The title Speaker comes from the fact that the Speaker was the official spokesman of the House of Commons to the Monarch. In the early years of the office, several Speakers suffered violent deaths when they presented unwelcome news to the King. Further information can be obtained from factsheet M2 on the UK Parliament website.
In a general election, each Constituency chooses an MP to represent them. MPs have a responsibility to represnt the views of the Constituency in the House of Commons. There are 650 Constituencies, and thus 650 MPs. A citizen of a Constituency is known as a Constituent
