Commons Speaker Addresses Local Students The Arts Centre at Bolton School was packed with students from several local schools who visited to hear from Sir Lindsay
Sixth Form students from across the borough enjoyed a very special morning with Sir Lindsay Hoyle, The Speaker of the House of Commons, at Bolton School.
M
r Britton, Head of Foundation, welcomed Sir Lindsay, who opened his address with an overview of his political career. He stressed how getting young people involved in politics had always been a priority for him, and, indeed, how this had been a part of his own experience: he had come from a political family, and became the youngest councillor to serve Chorley at the age of twenty-two. After experiencing local politics, he told how he was encouraged to stand for the Labour Party and spoke about his work as a ‘champion of overseas territories’, even going against the government when necessary. Sir Lindsay explained how he became a Deputy Speaker and all about his elected position as Chair 176
of Ways and Means, explaining what the role entails and how he fulfils his duties. He also talked about some of the challenges he has faced in the position during what has been a frenetic time in politics, from helping to beef up Parliament’s cyber security, to dealing with the aftermath of the death of Jo Cox and the London Bridge terror attack. Sir Lindsay then went into more detail about his election as the Speaker of the House of Commons, what the role means and how he has brought his own style to the post. He told how, when he arrived, the top three posts in the Speaker’s office were all held by men: it involved some difficult conversations, but he has since changed that to make it a more diverse office. Having good staff, he said, is key to achieving effectiveness, and he talked about some of the people he works with day to day as well as shedding light on some of the lesser-known aspects of his job: he reminded everyone that ‘sitting in the chair’ is only three
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hours a day, and this is only a small fraction of his role! As the ‘Chairman’ of the House of Commons, he is also responsible for salary negotiations, making decisions about repairs to the building and a host of other duties and responsibilities. Reflecting on some of the key moments from his time in the House of Commons, he recalled how the mood of the chamber changed completely when word came through that the Queen was ‘very ill’. In closing, Sir Lindsay said that Parliament had undoubtedly changed over the years. However, he emphasised, there is a need to bring back respect, not just tolerance. He said that people should believe in democracy and that the ballot box should be the answer. Overall, he said he felt ‘lucky’ to have such a ‘wonderful job’ and that the House can be the worst or the best and ‘when it’s the best there’s no better place to be’. Sir Lindsay then opened the floor to questions, the first of which was: is www.lancmag.com
