Do UK voters know if their MP will be the Speaker of the House?
Regarding the office of the Speaker of the House of Commons in the UK, I am wondering if voters know at election time if the MP they are voting for will become the Speaker (in which case, they will receive a reduced level of representation, since the speaker does not normally cast a vote)?
If so, is there any evidence that such knowledge can affect the outcome of the constituency vote (for example, if the constituents did not wish their MP to be the Speaker)?
united-kingdom house-of-commons speaker
asked Apr 3 at 18:24
Time4TeaTime4Tea
867619
add a comment |
Regarding the office of the Speaker of the House of Commons in the UK, I am wondering if voters know at election time if the MP they are voting for will become the Speaker (in which case, they will receive a reduced level of representation, since the speaker does not normally cast a vote)?
If so, is there any evidence that such knowledge can affect the outcome of the constituency vote (for example, if the constituents did not wish their MP to be the Speaker)?
united-kingdom house-of-commons speaker
asked Apr 3 at 18:24
Time4TeaTime4Tea
867619
add a comment |
Regarding the office of the Speaker of the House of Commons in the UK, I am wondering if voters know at election time if the MP they are voting for will become the Speaker (in which case, they will receive a reduced level of representation, since the speaker does not normally cast a vote)?
If so, is there any evidence that such knowledge can affect the outcome of the constituency vote (for example, if the constituents did not wish their MP to be the Speaker)?
united-kingdom house-of-commons speaker
asked Apr 3 at 18:24
Time4TeaTime4Tea
867619
Regarding the office of the Speaker of the House of Commons in the UK, I am wondering if voters know at election time if the MP they are voting for will become the Speaker (in which case, they will receive a reduced level of representation, since the speaker does not normally cast a vote)?
If so, is there any evidence that such knowledge can affect the outcome of the constituency vote (for example, if the constituents did not wish their MP to be the Speaker)?
united-kingdom house-of-commons speaker
united-kingdom house-of-commons speaker
asked Apr 3 at 18:24
Time4TeaTime4Tea
867619
asked Apr 3 at 18:24
Time4TeaTime4Tea
867619
asked Apr 3 at 18:24
Time4TeaTime4Tea
867619
asked Apr 3 at 18:24
Time4TeaTime4Tea
867619
asked Apr 3 at 18:24
Time4TeaTime4Tea
867619
867619
add a comment |
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
If the Speaker is seeking to continue in the position from the previous Parliament, then he or she runs as the Speaker rather than for a party (since the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act [2000] listed as "The Speaker seeking re-election"). Major parties don't run candidates against them, so there is not usually any meaningful opposition to beat.
If you instead mean MPs who run normally, then take up the position of the Speaker, the role is an elected one, even if historically a consensus on a single candidate happened before the actual election. As such, a prospective MP could only announce that they were willing to be nominated, and there is no formal requirement for them to do so.
It's worth noting that while the Speaker (and his or her deputies) does not normally vote, doing so only to break a tie, they can hold considerable soft power, Particularly in a hung parliament, as currently exists. As such a constituent with personal issues might find that the Speaker is better able to help them than a junior backbencher would be.
answered Apr 3 at 18:55
origimboorigimbo
13.9k23355
4
"the role is an elected one" -- clarification: elected by MPs.
– Roger Lipscombe
Apr 4 at 7:38
2
a prospective MP could only announce that they were willing to be nominated. As I understand it, the candidate could not even do that. The speaker is chosen by the other MPs and is expected to feign reluctance at being chosen.
– Buh Buh
Apr 4 at 9:18
add a comment |
If a Speaker hasn't resigned the position prior to a General Election, and is seeking to be re-elected as an MP, then the electorate will know. Convention even says that their "party" allegiance on the ballot paper should say "The Speaker seeking re-election".
If there isn't a sitting Speaker seeking re-election as an MP then the electorate will not know as the decision is made at the start of each Parliament.
The Parliamentary website covers this.
Are some voters concerned by this? The answer is yes. I can't, however, find any case where these concerns materially affected a constituency election result though. In the linked case, for example, John Bercow was re-elected with a healthy majority.
answered Apr 3 at 18:59
AlexAlex
4,6801225
There's a third option, which is probably more common than the one in the 2nd paragraph: if the sitting Speaker resigns in the middle of a parliament, and a new one is then elected. Obviously the new Speaker will have been a regular MP at the previous election (while the previous Speaker will have stood as the Speaker seeking re-election).
– Steve Melnikoff
Apr 3 at 22:10
The cases where "it materially affected a result" are exactly the cases in which the Speaker uses their casting vote. This most recently happened today.
– Kevin
Apr 4 at 2:39
@Kevin I meant that the voters’ concerns affected the election result. I’ Try to word that better.
– Alex
Apr 4 at 6:42
1
Yes, Bercow was re-elected with a healthy majority, but the fact that none of the major parties (Conservatives - though he was a Conservative before becoming the Speaker, Labour, and Lib Dems) stood candidates in that election meant there was no serious opposition either.
– Christopher
Apr 4 at 9:01
I can understand constituency voters being disgruntled. If the Speaker's re-election is practically guaranteed, then they are essentially being stripped of any meaningful choice. It seems quite undemocratic.
– Time4Tea
Apr 4 at 12:39
add a comment |
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If the Speaker is seeking to continue in the position from the previous Parliament, then he or she runs as the Speaker rather than for a party (since the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act [2000] listed as "The Speaker seeking re-election"). Major parties don't run candidates against them, so there is not usually any meaningful opposition to beat.
If you instead mean MPs who run normally, then take up the position of the Speaker, the role is an elected one, even if historically a consensus on a single candidate happened before the actual election. As such, a prospective MP could only announce that they were willing to be nominated, and there is no formal requirement for them to do so.
It's worth noting that while the Speaker (and his or her deputies) does not normally vote, doing so only to break a tie, they can hold considerable soft power, Particularly in a hung parliament, as currently exists. As such a constituent with personal issues might find that the Speaker is better able to help them than a junior backbencher would be.
answered Apr 3 at 18:55
origimboorigimbo
13.9k23355
4
"the role is an elected one" -- clarification: elected by MPs.
– Roger Lipscombe
Apr 4 at 7:38
2
a prospective MP could only announce that they were willing to be nominated. As I understand it, the candidate could not even do that. The speaker is chosen by the other MPs and is expected to feign reluctance at being chosen.
– Buh Buh
Apr 4 at 9:18
add a comment |
If the Speaker is seeking to continue in the position from the previous Parliament, then he or she runs as the Speaker rather than for a party (since the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act [2000] listed as "The Speaker seeking re-election"). Major parties don't run candidates against them, so there is not usually any meaningful opposition to beat.
If you instead mean MPs who run normally, then take up the position of the Speaker, the role is an elected one, even if historically a consensus on a single candidate happened before the actual election. As such, a prospective MP could only announce that they were willing to be nominated, and there is no formal requirement for them to do so.
It's worth noting that while the Speaker (and his or her deputies) does not normally vote, doing so only to break a tie, they can hold considerable soft power, Particularly in a hung parliament, as currently exists. As such a constituent with personal issues might find that the Speaker is better able to help them than a junior backbencher would be.
answered Apr 3 at 18:55
origimboorigimbo
13.9k23355
4
"the role is an elected one" -- clarification: elected by MPs.
– Roger Lipscombe
Apr 4 at 7:38
2
a prospective MP could only announce that they were willing to be nominated. As I understand it, the candidate could not even do that. The speaker is chosen by the other MPs and is expected to feign reluctance at being chosen.
– Buh Buh
Apr 4 at 9:18
add a comment |
If the Speaker is seeking to continue in the position from the previous Parliament, then he or she runs as the Speaker rather than for a party (since the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act [2000] listed as "The Speaker seeking re-election"). Major parties don't run candidates against them, so there is not usually any meaningful opposition to beat.
If you instead mean MPs who run normally, then take up the position of the Speaker, the role is an elected one, even if historically a consensus on a single candidate happened before the actual election. As such, a prospective MP could only announce that they were willing to be nominated, and there is no formal requirement for them to do so.
It's worth noting that while the Speaker (and his or her deputies) does not normally vote, doing so only to break a tie, they can hold considerable soft power, Particularly in a hung parliament, as currently exists. As such a constituent with personal issues might find that the Speaker is better able to help them than a junior backbencher would be.
answered Apr 3 at 18:55
origimboorigimbo
13.9k23355
If the Speaker is seeking to continue in the position from the previous Parliament, then he or she runs as the Speaker rather than for a party (since the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act [2000] listed as "The Speaker seeking re-election"). Major parties don't run candidates against them, so there is not usually any meaningful opposition to beat.
If you instead mean MPs who run normally, then take up the position of the Speaker, the role is an elected one, even if historically a consensus on a single candidate happened before the actual election. As such, a prospective MP could only announce that they were willing to be nominated, and there is no formal requirement for them to do so.
It's worth noting that while the Speaker (and his or her deputies) does not normally vote, doing so only to break a tie, they can hold considerable soft power, Particularly in a hung parliament, as currently exists. As such a constituent with personal issues might find that the Speaker is better able to help them than a junior backbencher would be.
answered Apr 3 at 18:55
origimboorigimbo
13.9k23355
answered Apr 3 at 18:55
origimboorigimbo
13.9k23355
answered Apr 3 at 18:55
origimboorigimbo
13.9k23355
answered Apr 3 at 18:55
origimboorigimbo
13.9k23355
13.9k23355
4
"the role is an elected one" -- clarification: elected by MPs.
– Roger Lipscombe
Apr 4 at 7:38
2
a prospective MP could only announce that they were willing to be nominated. As I understand it, the candidate could not even do that. The speaker is chosen by the other MPs and is expected to feign reluctance at being chosen.
– Buh Buh
Apr 4 at 9:18
add a comment |
4
"the role is an elected one" -- clarification: elected by MPs.
– Roger Lipscombe
Apr 4 at 7:38
2
a prospective MP could only announce that they were willing to be nominated. As I understand it, the candidate could not even do that. The speaker is chosen by the other MPs and is expected to feign reluctance at being chosen.
– Buh Buh
Apr 4 at 9:18
4
4
"the role is an elected one" -- clarification: elected by MPs.
– Roger Lipscombe
Apr 4 at 7:38
"the role is an elected one" -- clarification: elected by MPs.
– Roger Lipscombe
Apr 4 at 7:38
2
2
a prospective MP could only announce that they were willing to be nominated. As I understand it, the candidate could not even do that. The speaker is chosen by the other MPs and is expected to feign reluctance at being chosen.– Buh Buh
Apr 4 at 9:18
a prospective MP could only announce that they were willing to be nominated. As I understand it, the candidate could not even do that. The speaker is chosen by the other MPs and is expected to feign reluctance at being chosen.– Buh Buh
Apr 4 at 9:18
add a comment |
If a Speaker hasn't resigned the position prior to a General Election, and is seeking to be re-elected as an MP, then the electorate will know. Convention even says that their "party" allegiance on the ballot paper should say "The Speaker seeking re-election".
If there isn't a sitting Speaker seeking re-election as an MP then the electorate will not know as the decision is made at the start of each Parliament.
The Parliamentary website covers this.
Are some voters concerned by this? The answer is yes. I can't, however, find any case where these concerns materially affected a constituency election result though. In the linked case, for example, John Bercow was re-elected with a healthy majority.
answered Apr 3 at 18:59
AlexAlex
4,6801225
There's a third option, which is probably more common than the one in the 2nd paragraph: if the sitting Speaker resigns in the middle of a parliament, and a new one is then elected. Obviously the new Speaker will have been a regular MP at the previous election (while the previous Speaker will have stood as the Speaker seeking re-election).
– Steve Melnikoff
Apr 3 at 22:10
The cases where "it materially affected a result" are exactly the cases in which the Speaker uses their casting vote. This most recently happened today.
– Kevin
Apr 4 at 2:39
@Kevin I meant that the voters’ concerns affected the election result. I’ Try to word that better.
– Alex
Apr 4 at 6:42
1
Yes, Bercow was re-elected with a healthy majority, but the fact that none of the major parties (Conservatives - though he was a Conservative before becoming the Speaker, Labour, and Lib Dems) stood candidates in that election meant there was no serious opposition either.
– Christopher
Apr 4 at 9:01
I can understand constituency voters being disgruntled. If the Speaker's re-election is practically guaranteed, then they are essentially being stripped of any meaningful choice. It seems quite undemocratic.
– Time4Tea
Apr 4 at 12:39
add a comment |
If a Speaker hasn't resigned the position prior to a General Election, and is seeking to be re-elected as an MP, then the electorate will know. Convention even says that their "party" allegiance on the ballot paper should say "The Speaker seeking re-election".
If there isn't a sitting Speaker seeking re-election as an MP then the electorate will not know as the decision is made at the start of each Parliament.
The Parliamentary website covers this.
Are some voters concerned by this? The answer is yes. I can't, however, find any case where these concerns materially affected a constituency election result though. In the linked case, for example, John Bercow was re-elected with a healthy majority.
answered Apr 3 at 18:59
AlexAlex
4,6801225
There's a third option, which is probably more common than the one in the 2nd paragraph: if the sitting Speaker resigns in the middle of a parliament, and a new one is then elected. Obviously the new Speaker will have been a regular MP at the previous election (while the previous Speaker will have stood as the Speaker seeking re-election).
– Steve Melnikoff
Apr 3 at 22:10
The cases where "it materially affected a result" are exactly the cases in which the Speaker uses their casting vote. This most recently happened today.
– Kevin
Apr 4 at 2:39
@Kevin I meant that the voters’ concerns affected the election result. I’ Try to word that better.
– Alex
Apr 4 at 6:42
1
Yes, Bercow was re-elected with a healthy majority, but the fact that none of the major parties (Conservatives - though he was a Conservative before becoming the Speaker, Labour, and Lib Dems) stood candidates in that election meant there was no serious opposition either.
– Christopher
Apr 4 at 9:01
I can understand constituency voters being disgruntled. If the Speaker's re-election is practically guaranteed, then they are essentially being stripped of any meaningful choice. It seems quite undemocratic.
– Time4Tea
Apr 4 at 12:39
add a comment |
If a Speaker hasn't resigned the position prior to a General Election, and is seeking to be re-elected as an MP, then the electorate will know. Convention even says that their "party" allegiance on the ballot paper should say "The Speaker seeking re-election".
If there isn't a sitting Speaker seeking re-election as an MP then the electorate will not know as the decision is made at the start of each Parliament.
The Parliamentary website covers this.
Are some voters concerned by this? The answer is yes. I can't, however, find any case where these concerns materially affected a constituency election result though. In the linked case, for example, John Bercow was re-elected with a healthy majority.
answered Apr 3 at 18:59
AlexAlex
4,6801225
If a Speaker hasn't resigned the position prior to a General Election, and is seeking to be re-elected as an MP, then the electorate will know. Convention even says that their "party" allegiance on the ballot paper should say "The Speaker seeking re-election".
If there isn't a sitting Speaker seeking re-election as an MP then the electorate will not know as the decision is made at the start of each Parliament.
The Parliamentary website covers this.
Are some voters concerned by this? The answer is yes. I can't, however, find any case where these concerns materially affected a constituency election result though. In the linked case, for example, John Bercow was re-elected with a healthy majority.
answered Apr 3 at 18:59
AlexAlex
4,6801225
edited Apr 4 at 9:59
answered Apr 3 at 18:59
AlexAlex
4,6801225
answered Apr 3 at 18:59
AlexAlex
4,6801225
answered Apr 3 at 18:59
AlexAlex
4,6801225
4,6801225
There's a third option, which is probably more common than the one in the 2nd paragraph: if the sitting Speaker resigns in the middle of a parliament, and a new one is then elected. Obviously the new Speaker will have been a regular MP at the previous election (while the previous Speaker will have stood as the Speaker seeking re-election).
– Steve Melnikoff
Apr 3 at 22:10
The cases where "it materially affected a result" are exactly the cases in which the Speaker uses their casting vote. This most recently happened today.
– Kevin
Apr 4 at 2:39
@Kevin I meant that the voters’ concerns affected the election result. I’ Try to word that better.
– Alex
Apr 4 at 6:42
1
Yes, Bercow was re-elected with a healthy majority, but the fact that none of the major parties (Conservatives - though he was a Conservative before becoming the Speaker, Labour, and Lib Dems) stood candidates in that election meant there was no serious opposition either.
– Christopher
Apr 4 at 9:01
I can understand constituency voters being disgruntled. If the Speaker's re-election is practically guaranteed, then they are essentially being stripped of any meaningful choice. It seems quite undemocratic.
– Time4Tea
Apr 4 at 12:39
add a comment |
There's a third option, which is probably more common than the one in the 2nd paragraph: if the sitting Speaker resigns in the middle of a parliament, and a new one is then elected. Obviously the new Speaker will have been a regular MP at the previous election (while the previous Speaker will have stood as the Speaker seeking re-election).
– Steve Melnikoff
Apr 3 at 22:10
The cases where "it materially affected a result" are exactly the cases in which the Speaker uses their casting vote. This most recently happened today.
– Kevin
Apr 4 at 2:39
@Kevin I meant that the voters’ concerns affected the election result. I’ Try to word that better.
– Alex
Apr 4 at 6:42
1
Yes, Bercow was re-elected with a healthy majority, but the fact that none of the major parties (Conservatives - though he was a Conservative before becoming the Speaker, Labour, and Lib Dems) stood candidates in that election meant there was no serious opposition either.
– Christopher
Apr 4 at 9:01
I can understand constituency voters being disgruntled. If the Speaker's re-election is practically guaranteed, then they are essentially being stripped of any meaningful choice. It seems quite undemocratic.
– Time4Tea
Apr 4 at 12:39
There's a third option, which is probably more common than the one in the 2nd paragraph: if the sitting Speaker resigns in the middle of a parliament, and a new one is then elected. Obviously the new Speaker will have been a regular MP at the previous election (while the previous Speaker will have stood as the Speaker seeking re-election).
– Steve Melnikoff
Apr 3 at 22:10
There's a third option, which is probably more common than the one in the 2nd paragraph: if the sitting Speaker resigns in the middle of a parliament, and a new one is then elected. Obviously the new Speaker will have been a regular MP at the previous election (while the previous Speaker will have stood as the Speaker seeking re-election).
– Steve Melnikoff
Apr 3 at 22:10
The cases where "it materially affected a result" are exactly the cases in which the Speaker uses their casting vote. This most recently happened today.
– Kevin
Apr 4 at 2:39
The cases where "it materially affected a result" are exactly the cases in which the Speaker uses their casting vote. This most recently happened today.
– Kevin
Apr 4 at 2:39
@Kevin I meant that the voters’ concerns affected the election result. I’ Try to word that better.
– Alex
Apr 4 at 6:42
@Kevin I meant that the voters’ concerns affected the election result. I’ Try to word that better.
– Alex
Apr 4 at 6:42
1
1
Yes, Bercow was re-elected with a healthy majority, but the fact that none of the major parties (Conservatives - though he was a Conservative before becoming the Speaker, Labour, and Lib Dems) stood candidates in that election meant there was no serious opposition either.
– Christopher
Apr 4 at 9:01
Yes, Bercow was re-elected with a healthy majority, but the fact that none of the major parties (Conservatives - though he was a Conservative before becoming the Speaker, Labour, and Lib Dems) stood candidates in that election meant there was no serious opposition either.
– Christopher
Apr 4 at 9:01
I can understand constituency voters being disgruntled. If the Speaker's re-election is practically guaranteed, then they are essentially being stripped of any meaningful choice. It seems quite undemocratic.
– Time4Tea
Apr 4 at 12:39
I can understand constituency voters being disgruntled. If the Speaker's re-election is practically guaranteed, then they are essentially being stripped of any meaningful choice. It seems quite undemocratic.
– Time4Tea
Apr 4 at 12:39
add a comment |
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