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 / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 9-12 February 2026

MPs will debate annual increases to the state pension and a range of social security benefits, alongside proposed funding settlements for policing and local government. The Government will also lead a debate on the UK–India Free Trade Agreement. Ministers from the Home Office, Energy, Transport, and Northern Ireland departments will face oral questions in the Commons, while select committees will question ministers on business rates, housing affordability and Government data security. In the House of Lords, Peers will continue scrutiny of the Children’s Wellbeing Bill, the English Devolution Bill, and the Victims and Courts Bill. Meanwhile, Commons public bill committees will examine the Railways Bill and the Cyber Security Bill. Backbench business includes debates marking LGBT+ History Month, improving mobile connectivity, and increasing survival rates for brain tumours.

Blog / Once again, there is still no alternative: the costed proposals for Restoration and Renewal of the Palace of Westminster

The Restoration and Renewal Client Board’s latest report once again confirms what Parliament has known for nearly a decade: the cheapest, quickest and safest way to restore the Palace of Westminster is for MPs and Peers to move out during the works. The “full decant” option was endorsed in 2018 and reaffirmed repeatedly since. Remaining in the building could more than double costs, extend works into the 2080s, and increase risks to safety, accessibility and security. With the Palace already deteriorating and millions spent each year on patchwork repairs, further delay would itself be an expensive course of action, one that defers decisions without offering a viable alternative.

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 / 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