United Kingdom and Gibraltar European Union membership referendum
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Already in the first ballot he had 211 of 562 votes, the second-placed candidate had almost 100 votes less. In the next two ballots, the gap widened, and after the fourth, it was clear: Sir Lindsay Hoyle is the new president of the British House of Commons, the new Mister Speaker. 325 MPs voted for him, the absolute majority was needed, that is 270 of the 540 votes cast.
Even before the election, the 62-year-old was considered a big favorite, online betting took bets on him with 16: 1. And after such a clear first ballot, the result usually shifts fundamentally only if members of a particular camp want to block a candidate. That would be no surprise in the heated and partially poisoned atmosphere that prevailed in the Lower House in recent weeks, where Brexit has hardened the fronts and the sound got rougher. But the new speaker is widely accepted across the border of his Labor Party.
Hoyle has been a member of Parliament's Labor Party since 1997, representing Chorley, a constituency on the northwest coast of England. Before he was elected to parliament, he ran a textile printing company. With the office of the speaker he has experience, since 2010 he was one of the three deputies of the now outgoing John Bercow. Hoyles father was also a Labor MP, he now sits as Baron Hoyle in the House of Lords.
Who is Sir Lindsay Hoyle?
Hoyle gained notoriety and sympathy in 1997, in his first year as a Member. After the death of Princess Diana, he campaigned for the founding of a children's hospital by her name, as a souvenir of her and her charitable work. He also called for the renaming of London Heathrow Airport in "Diana Princess of Wales Airport". "This would be an ideal way to keep your name in your memory forever, with people around the world," he told British media back then. Both petitions were rejected - Hoyle, however, made a name for the mourning British.
Two days before the election of the new speaker Hoyle published a photo on Twitter showing him watching rugby at home. He sits in a chair, at the wrong angle to the screen, a little lost in a room too big and too empty, too far away from a table with a teacup, in a sweater, without shoes, with pink-blue-striped socks. If this image does not speak media inexperience, the message is clear: Hoyle is harmless, as a close-to-the-people alternative to the sometimes stiff-looking deputies with a tie - he usually occurs in the lower house.
Come on England pic.twitter.com/27xqf2Nv1a
- Lindsay Hoyle (@LindsayHoyle_MP) November 2, 2019But how will Hoyle become a speaker? His predecessor Bercow set the bar very high. He led the House of Commons with charisma and humor, and he campaigned unconditionally for the rights of Parliament. The no-no-deal bill, which forced Johnson to request a Brexit shift in Brussels, would not have come about without his intervention, as he had vehemently campaigned against Parliament's unusually long compulsory break with Prime Minister Boris Johnson Brexit course, which was ultimately condemned as unlawful by the highest British court. How does Hoyle feel about the independence of the House of Commons - and what is his position on Brexit?
As referee against the pecking order
In his five-minute application speech, with which Hoyle was allowed to present himself to MPs before the vote on the new Speaker, he said it was important for him to bring Parliament to hold the government to account. He had tried during the years as Deputy Speaker to ensure that every member of parliament was heard - "not only people who have been here for 35 years." There should be no pecking order in the parliament, but equality among the deputies. Previously he referred to the British "Sunday Times" as a referee.
However, Hoyle remained vague in his speech, more tolerated than determinate. He sounded much less ambitious than, say, his competitors Harriet Harman and Eleanor Laing, who called for fundamental change and modernization in parliament. He remarked noncommittally and with little conjecture that the lower house would be below his potential at the moment - but there are great ideas on how it could be better designed. He also wanted to improve the security of the MEPs and their families. So far - so vague.
And how about his qualities as a reconciler between the now distant camps of the former center - the Tories and Labor - must also show the time. The lightness and skill of Bercov is not his, but if necessary, he can make up for it by a more restrained charm and enough practice. A scene could be considered as a preview of his upcoming attempts as a speaker:
When members of the Scottish SNP began to sing "Joy beautiful divine spark" in the parliament in 2017, he had to call them to rest. With the European anthem they wanted to announce their attitude against the Brexit supposedly off the agenda. When he noticed the vocals, Hoyle responded with a mixture of excessive demands and hardship - but finally saved the situation with a charming turnaround. Visibly unhappy with the action, he first shouted at the directing delegate to refrain from singing - but concluded more conciliatory on the grounds that otherwise would otherwise join other singers who "would not have the vote". Overall, Hoyle is known for soft tones and is respected on both sides of the boardroom.
Brexit - maybe
As for Brexit, Hoyle never disclosed his position. This could be pure tactics, because his constituency voted in the Brexit referendum in 2016 with 56.8 percent for the withdrawal of the Kingdom of the EU. With such a close result, he would run the risk of scrapping around half of the voters - no matter what position he took for or against Brexit. With his silence Hoyle also drives the official party line that Labor boss Jeremy Corbyn pretends - namely, to hold with vested indecision regarding the Brexit as many voters, left-liberal Proeuropäer as Eurosceptics.
Regarding his future work as a speaker, this alleged neutrality could be an advantage - after all, he must now act as an impartial for the common understanding among the deputies. A strong opinion about Brexit might just bother you there.
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