Brexit hot seat: Lindsay Hoyle elected as British parliament’s new speaker

Predecessor John Bercow was accused of breaking convention and favouring those who wanted to foil government’s plans for departure from EU

Speaker has played increasingly influential role in debate over Brexit and passing of required laws

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Lindsay Hoyle speaks in the House of Commons in London on Monday ahead of the vote for speaker. Photo: UK Parliament via AFP

Published: 6:47am, 5 Nov 2019Updated: 6:47am, 5 Nov 2019

British lawmakers elected Labour’s Lindsay Hoyle as speaker on Monday to take on the role of refereeing the next parliamentary instalment of the protracted struggle over Brexit.

In the three years since Britain voted to leave the European Union, the speaker has played an increasingly influential role in the process of parliamentarians debating the rights and wrongs of Brexit and passing the laws needed to implement it.

The speaker is the arbiter of procedural disputes in the House of Commons, parliament’s lower chamber, and has the power to decide which challenges to the Conservative government’s plans are allowed to proceed.

Former speaker John Bercow, who stood down last week after 10 years, was accused of breaking convention and favouring those who wanted to stop the government’s exit plans. But he was feted by others who saw him as empowering them to challenge and scrutinise the executive.

“I will be neutral, I will be transparent,” 62-year-old Hoyle said after his colleagues carried out the parliamentary tradition of dragging him to the speaker’s chair.

Parliament had to make sure the “tarnish is polished away”, he said, adding: “This House will change but it will change for the better.”