House of Commons Speaker hustings 2019

Events

House of Commons Speaker hustings 2019

15 Oct 2019

On 15 October 2019, all nine original candidates to be the new Speaker of the House of Commons participated in a hustings event in Westminster, hosted jointly by the Hansard Society and The House magazine, and chaired by the BBC's Carolyn Quinn.

The event was attended by a large number of MPs, who had the opportunity to put questions to the candidates seeking their support, as well as by parliamentary and MPs' staff, and journalists. Each candidate made an opening statement about their approach to, and priorities for, the role, before taking questions.

The hustings was held three weeks before the House was to decide on the successor to John Bercow, who was stepping down after over a decade in the chair.

The 2019 event continued the Hansard Society's involvement in Speaker hustings, after the Society hosted the first-ever public Commons Speaker hustings in 2009, and then did the same for the Speakership of the House of Lords in 2016.

In 2019, the nine candidates running for the Commons Speakership at the time of the hustings, and who took part in the event, were:

Sir Henry Bellingham;
Chris Bryant;
Harriet Harman;
Meg Hillier;
Sir Lindsay Hoyle;
Dame Eleanor Laing;
Sir Edward Leigh;
Shailesh Vara; and
Dame Rosie Winterton.

Sir Henry Bellingham and Shailesh Vara withdrew from the race before the House voted on 4 November.

The hustings were recorded and broadcast by BBC Parliament.

Latest / Highlights

News / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 9-12 February 2026

MPs will debate annual increases to the state pension and a range of social security benefits, alongside proposed funding settlements for policing and local government. The Government will also lead a debate on the UK–India Free Trade Agreement. Ministers from the Home Office, Energy, Transport, and Northern Ireland departments will face oral questions in the Commons, while select committees will question ministers on business rates, housing affordability and Government data security. In the House of Lords, Peers will continue scrutiny of the Children’s Wellbeing Bill, the English Devolution Bill, and the Victims and Courts Bill. Meanwhile, Commons public bill committees will examine the Railways Bill and the Cyber Security Bill. Backbench business includes debates marking LGBT+ History Month, improving mobile connectivity, and increasing survival rates for brain tumours.

Blog / Once again, there is still no alternative: the costed proposals for Restoration and Renewal of the Palace of Westminster

The Restoration and Renewal Client Board’s latest report once again confirms what Parliament has known for nearly a decade: the cheapest, quickest and safest way to restore the Palace of Westminster is for MPs and Peers to move out during the works. The “full decant” option was endorsed in 2018 and reaffirmed repeatedly since. Remaining in the building could more than double costs, extend works into the 2080s, and increase risks to safety, accessibility and security. With the Palace already deteriorating and millions spent each year on patchwork repairs, further delay would itself be an expensive course of action, one that defers decisions without offering a viable alternative.

News / A Humble Address: How MPs confronted the Mandelson scandal - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 130

It has been a bruising week for the Prime Minister after the House of Commons backed a Conservative “Humble Address” demanding documents on Sir Keir Starmer’s vetting of Lord Mandelson for the Washington Ambassadorship. We explain how the procedure works, what role the Intelligence and Security Committee may play in decisions on disclosure, and how legislation to strip a peerage could be introduced. Plus, the latest on the Restoration and Renewal of Parliament as yet another report lands with a new set of costings. Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Acast · YouTube · Other apps · RSS

News / Why MPs can’t just quit: The curious case of the Chiltern Hundreds - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 129

Why can’t MPs simply resign, and why does leaving the House of Commons still involve a medieval-sounding detour via the Chiltern Hundreds or its less glamorous cousin the Manor of Northstead? This week we unravel the history, constitutional logic and legal fudges behind this curious workaround, with some memorable resignations from the past along the way. We also assess the Government’s legislative programme as the Session heads toward its expected May close, including the striking lack of bills published for pre-legislative scrutiny. Finally, as Parliament begins the five-yearly process of renewing consent for the UK’s armed forces, we examine why an Armed Forces Bill is required and hear from Jayne Kirkham MP on how her Ten Minute Rule Bill helped extend the new Armed Forces Commissioner’s oversight to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Acast · YouTube · Other apps · RSS

News / Assisted dying bill: How could the Parliament Act be used? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 128

As the assisted dying bill grinds through the House of Lords under the weight of more than a thousand amendments, Lord Falconer has signalled that time is running out. With the Bill unlikely to complete its Lords stages this Session, he has openly raised the possibility of using the Parliament Act to override the upper House in the next Session. In this episode we explore what that would mean, how it could work in practice, and the political choices now facing ministers and Parliament. Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Acast · YouTube · Other apps · RSS