Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the newly elected Speaker of the House of Commons, is facing a crisis after a controversial decision regarding a vote on China. The Speaker, who was elected in November 2019 following John Bercow's resignation, has come under fire for his handling of the matter.
Sir Lindsay, a Labour MP and former deputy Speaker, won the final round of voting against Chris Bryant with 325 votes to 213. He pledged to be a 'neutral' Speaker and paid tribute to his late daughter, Natalie, who died in 2017. As Speaker, he is required to resign from the Labour Party to maintain impartiality.
The role of Speaker has been under scrutiny, with John Bercow both praised for boosting backbench influence and criticised for stretching parliamentary rules, particularly regarding Brexit. The Speaker chooses which amendments can be voted on and can permit urgent questions.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson congratulated Sir Lindsay, saying he would 'stick up' for backbenchers and show 'signature kindness and reasonableness'. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn noted that Sir Lindsay would need 'eyes in the back of his head' in his new role.
The controversy over the China vote decision has raised questions about Sir Lindsay's impartiality, though he has vowed to be transparent. The situation continues to develop as MPs react to his decision.
