Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 5:00 pm on 13 May 2026.
The Earl of Kinnoull
Deputy Chairman of Committees, Convenor of the Crossbench Peers, Deputy Speaker (Lords)
5:00,
13 May 2026
My Lords, on behalf of the Cross Benches, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Ponsonby, on his appointment as Senior Deputy Speaker, and most importantly, actually, as Chairman of Committees, which is sometimes forgotten. I wish the names were reversed in importance in the way we consider them.
The noble Lord, Lord Gardiner, has been in part diplomat, in part referee and in part provider of chocolate biscuits to me over his very successful five years as Senior Deputy Speaker. I am sure he did not expect, in 2021, to leave behind agriculture and fisheries for traffic management and gas lamps on the Parliamentary Estate, but each ball that was bowled at him—the Leader of the House just mentioned some—with every possible spin, by world-class bowlers, he despatched to the boundary and always with good humour.
In closing, I note that the noble Lord and I usually arrived for our monthly meetings dressed in Red Squirrel Survival Trust ties—I am wearing mine now. We would have a brief pre-meeting beforehand to discuss our mutual interest in the native broadleaf trees of our nation and red squirrels, which was probably quite puzzling to the officials who were sitting with us, but it set the tone. I was reflecting that, now that he is going to have some time on his hands, the red squirrels of the United Kingdom will be very pleased that a major advocate is back in action and can work on their behalf.
I very much value the noble Lord’s friendship. On behalf of these Benches, I thank him most warmly for all his support and service over five years.
The Deputy speaker is in charge of proceedings of the House of Commons in the absence of the Speaker.
The deputy speaker's formal title is Chairman of Ways and Means, one of whose functions is to preside over the House of Commons when it is in a Committee of the Whole House.
The deputy speaker also presides over the Budget.
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.
