House of Lords Speaker Hustings 2021

Events

House of Lords Speaker Hustings 2021

The Hansard Society hosted two online hustings for the candidates in the 2021 Lord Speaker election. The first event, on 25 March, was chaired by the BBC's parliamentary correspondent Mark D'Arcy; and the second, on 13 April, was chaired by Jackie Ashley, former political correspondent and broadcaster.

Watch the hustings

First hustings – 25 March 2021

Second hustings – 13 April 2021

About this event

All three candidates standing to be Lord Speaker took part in both events:

Each candidate had previously produced a statement and a video setting out why they were seeking the role.

Questions from Members of the House put to the candidates across the two hustings covered a range of themes including governance and the role of the Speaker; membership of the House (including the position of hereditary Peers); the future of virtual proceedings after the pandemic; communications and public engagement; relations with the devolved legislatures; and the Restoration and Renewal of Parliament.

In accordance with the election timetable published by the House of Lords, voting took place between 13 and 15 April.

On 21 April, it was announced that Lord McFall had won the election and been elected Lord Speaker, and that the Queen had confirmed the result in accordance with Standing Order No. 18.

The full election results (PDF) were published on the House of Lords website.

Lord McFall took office on 1 May 2021, for a five-year term. Owing to the prorogation of Parliament on 29 April, he will sit on the Woolsack for the first time on the first day of the new parliamentary session, on 11 May.

The 2021 hustings events continued the Hansard Society's involvement in Speaker hustings, after the Society previously hosted the official hustings for the Lord Speaker in 2011 and 2016. The Society also hosted the first-ever hustings for the Speakership of the House of Commons in 2009, and co-hosted hustings with the House Magazine for the most recent election of the Commons Speaker, in 2019.

Latest / Highlights

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 / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 2-6 February 2026

The new Lord Speaker will take over the Woolsack and the new Archbishop of Canterbury will be introduced to the House of Lords. In the Commons, Cabinet ministers John Healey, David Lammy, Liz Kendall and Emma Reynolds will face MPs’ questions, while Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Treasury Minister James Murray give evidence to Select Committees. MPs will decide whether to carry over the High Speed Rail (Crewe–Manchester) Bill for repurposing as the Northern Powerhouse Rail Bill and will debate legislation to abolish the two-child benefit limit. The Conservatives will choose the topic(s) for an Opposition Day debate, and there’s a backbench debate on Palestine. Peers will debate bills on prioritisation of medical training places and on Budget-related changes to National Insurance Contributions.

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

News / Who really sets MPs’ pay – And why you might be wrong about it. A conversation with Richard Lloyd, chair of IPSA - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 126

What are MPs actually paid and what does the public fund to help them do their job? In this conversation with Richard Lloyd, chair of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) we explore the delicate balance between supporting MPs to do their jobs effectively and enforcing strict standards on the use of public money. We discuss how IPSA has shifted from a rule-heavy “traffic cop” to a principles-based regulator, why compliance is now very high, and the security risks and pressures facing MPs‘ offices as workloads rise and abuse becomes more common. Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | ACAST | YouTube | Other apps | RSS