Commons briefing note

NO1 MAY 2015

Speakers election 2015

Following the general election, the process for choosing a Speaker of the House of
Commons starts on 18 May 2015, the day Parliament meets.
What happens straight away
When Parliament meets, the Father of the House the
MP with the longest continuous service who is not a
Minister presides over Commons proceedings.
If the Speaker in the previous Parliament, John Bercow, is
willing to be chosen as Speaker, he makes a short speech
to the House.
Another MP is called to move a motion that the former
Speaker take the chair as Speaker-elect. The Father of
the House then puts that question to the House. The
motion is not debated. If anyone objects a division, or
vote, is held.
If MPs agree, the Speaker-elect takes the chair. If not, the
House is adjourned until 2.30pm the following day when
it will elect a Speaker by secret ballot. The procedure
would be the same as that used in 2009.

Nominations
If a new Speaker has to be chosen by secret ballot, the
following rules apply:
Candidates must submit written nominations to the
Commons Table Office between 9.30 and 10.30am on
the morning of the election.
They must submit a signed declaration that they are
willing to stand, along with the signatures of between
12 and 15 MPs who support their nomination.
At least three of the nominees must have been elected
as Members of a different party from the candidate,
or of no party. A list of all the candidates will be
published on the Parliament website at around 11am.
Election
The Commons will meet to elect the Speaker at 2.30pm.
The Father of the House will preside over the election,
sitting at the Table of the House rather than in the
Speakers chair.
Each candidate will give a speech, the order of which will
be decided by lot. If there is only one nomination, that
candidate will automatically be proposed as the Speaker.

Once all the candidates have spoken, MPs will be asked

to vote for their preferred candidate.

Voting
Each MP will receive a ballot paper with the names of
all the candidates listed in alphabetical order. They will
vote in the division lobbies either side of the House of
Commons Chamber and will have 30 minutes to do so.
It is a secret ballot and MPs can vote for only one
candidate. Once the votes have been counted the result
will be announced in the Chamber.

Results and further ballots

If any candidate gets more than 50 per cent of the votes,
that candidate will be proposed to the House as Speaker.
If no candidate receives more than 50 per cent, MPs will
be asked to vote again.
This time the ballot paper will not include:
any candidate with less than 5 per cent of the votes;
the candidate who came last;
any candidate who withdraws within ten minutes
of the result.
Successive ballots will be held until either a candidate
wins more than 50 per cent of the votes, or only one
candidate remains.
A motion will then be put to the House proposing that
Member as Speaker. If agreed, the successful MP will
take the chair. If it is contested there will be a vote.
Once the Speaker has been elected, there will be speeches
of congratulation from the party leaders, and the House
would then go to the Lords for the Royal Approbation of
the Speaker. Swearing in of Members will begin the next
day.
Contacts
Marek Kubala, Department of Chamber and Committee
Services: 020 7219 4921 (further information about this
briefing note)

Issued by the Governance Office

T 020 7219 6361 E centralcommunications@parliament.uk