Lindsay Hoyle

In the 1980 United Kingdom local elections, Hoyle was elected as the Labour Chorley Borough Councillor for the Adlington ward, defeating the sitting Conservative.[4] He was re-elected four times, and served as Deputy Leader from 1994 to 1997.[7] After being elected as an MP in 1997, he ended his time on the Council as the annual Mayor before stepping down at the local election in 1998.[8]

Hoyle in 2017

In February 1996, Hoyle was chosen to stand as the Labour candidate for the Chorley constituency at the 1997 general election. He won the election with a majority of 9,870, becoming the first Labour MP for Chorley in eighteen years.[9][10]

In the days after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in August 1997, Hoyle asked for a new national children's hospital to be built as a memorial to her.[11] A few days later, Hoyle wrote to airport operator BAA, operators of London Heathrow Airport, urging them to change the airport's name to Diana, Princess of Wales Airport.[12] Neither proposal was carried out.[13]

Hoyle served as a member of the Trade and Industry Committee (later the Business Committee) from 1998 to 2010 and as a member of the European Scrutiny Committee from 2005 to 2010.[1][14] He is currently the President of the All-Party British Gibraltar Group in Parliament (of which his father is the Treasurer) and a Vice Chair of the All-Party British Virgin Islands Group.[1][15]

Hoyle clashed with then Prime Minister Tony Blair over issues such as Gibraltar and tuition fees. Regarding those clashes, Hoyle would say "I'm not anti-Tony; he made us electable and won three times. But there are principles and promises you don't break".[4] Hoyle is one of the few MPs who refused to say whether they voted Leave or Remain in the 2016 referendum.[16]

Hoyle was elected Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons and Chairman of Ways and Means on 8 June 2010,[1] the first time this appointment had been made by ballot of MPs, rather than by nomination of the Leader of the House.[2] He was appointed to the Privy Council in January 2013.[17]

On 20 March 2013, Hoyle won wide public acclaim for his handling of the Budget proceedings, which were frequently interrupted by jeering MPs.[18]

In February 2017, Hoyle told off SNP MPs for singing the European Anthem during the vote for the Brexit Bill in the House of Commons, stating that he does not want parliament to turn into a sing-off.[19] The same night, he had a clash with former Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond, in a heated exchange over whether he had cut off an SNP MP while speaking.[20]

In March 2017, Hoyle called on social media companies to take swifter action to crack down on offensive posts, arguing it deters Jewish and Muslim women from becoming MPs.[21]

Hoyle was in the Speaker's Chair during the terrorist attack in Westminster on 22 March 2017, and the subsequent suspension and lockdown of the Commons.[22] Hoyle was appointed a Knight Bachelor in the 2018 New Year Honours for parliamentary and political services.[23]

On 4 November 2019, Hoyle entered the election for Speaker to replace John Bercow. In the days leading up to the election, Hoyle was consistently seen by the media as the front runner. Hoyle maintained a substantial lead in the first, second, and third ballots of the election, but without reaching the 50% required to win.[24]

Hoyle was elected Speaker on the fourth ballot, defeating Chris Bryant and winning 325 votes out of a total of 540 cast. Hoyle then duly received royal approbation in the House of Lords. In accordance with convention, following the election Hoyle rescinded his Labour party membership.

In his acceptance speech, Hoyle stated that "this House will change, but it will change for the better", and stated that he would be a "transparent" Speaker, also pledging to take the welfare of House of Commons staff seriously.[25] He was unanimously confirmed as Speaker after the 2019 election.