How to become Speaker
By Alex Stevenson
Are you a senior MP with the political nous to steer parliament through one of its most difficult periods?
Can you combine sensitivity with impartiality, a healthy love of the Commons with an innate desire for reform?
Do you have the friendly face to win over a mistrusting public – but also the ability to discipline rowdy MPs during PMQs?
If the answer to all these questions is ‘yes’, you’re probably lying.
In the event you think you might be able to tick most of the boxes, however, there’s still time to change the course of the mother of parliaments – and get elected as Michael Martin’s replacement in Monday’s election.
Step one can be tricky: getting your fellow MPs to nominate you. At least 12 are needed. Three must come from the party you’re not in. Journalists talk about declared contenders, but the truth is there’s no formal need to declare a candidacy until the day of the vote. Nominations can only be received between 09:30 and 10:30 on that morning, meaning anyone can emerge as a late entry and change the game.
Soon after this period is over the full list of candidates to be put before the Commons for scrutiny will be posted in the members’ lobby. Only then will we know for certain whether some of those on the fringes – Sylvia Heal, Frank Field and the like – will be in the race.
A lull will follow, in procedural terms at least. But when the House meets at 14:30, with Father of the House Alan Williams in the chair, the lengthy process will begin which will end with a new Speaker finally chosen by the Commons.
It will be very, very different to the process used to choose Mr Martin in October 2000.
Then, the question was put to the Commons in the form of a motion along the lines ‘that Michael Martin do take the chair of this House as Speaker’.
Anyone challenging this would lay an amendment, replacing Mr Martin’s name with alternatives.
It was pointed out by a procedure committee report of 2001 that this was a little unfair as it helped the person whose name was not an amendment.
Furthermore their influential conclusions noted the Speaker might be more inclined to call on his supporters than those who had opposed him.
As a result the secret ballot, used in other countries like Australia and Canada but never before tried in the Commons, was backed as the best way to decide the issue.
It will be given its debut on Monday.
First, candidates will address the House to try and win over waverers. Lots will be drawn to decide the order.
Then, when all standing have had their turn, the voting will begin.
You might have assumed it will be a straightforward vote; that the candidate with the most backing becomes the Speaker.
How wrong you would be. The Commons requires the Speaker to be chosen by a majority of the votes cast in the ballot, which means there is potential for several votes to take place before the final, decisive victory is achieved.
If you’re one of the candidates who hasn’t done well in the opening round of voting you may find your campaign ending a little earlier than you’d liked.
The candidate who received the fewest votes is automatically eliminated.
And any candidate who won less than five per cent of the votes cast will also be knocked out.
At this stage it’s not too late to withdraw honourably; a disappointing showing might persuade you to exit, which can be achieved within ten minutes of the vote’s result being read out to the Commons.
Those who choose to continue the fight will face a very interesting situation. Because of the time it takes for each ballot to take place – and for the votes to be counted – there will be a lot of milling around for MPs, a lot of time for opinions to be changed.
We can expect significant numbers to change their voting as they respond to the candidates left in the race.
Perception will be everything. Candidates with a political head on their shoulders (ie, all of them) will be well advised to get their campaign managers shaping the views of the ordinary backbencher fearful that they are the best person to coalesce around, preventing any especially undesirable candidate from winning.
politics.co.uk has spoken to a number of runners and riders who believe their best chance lies in exactly this kind of scenario.
How it pans out on the day will depend on many imponderables. politics.co.uk will be offering our usual live updates throughout the day – including and up to the final moment when the House accepts the eventual winner.
Will it be you, dear candidate, who gets dragged in the time-honoured hypocrisy of sham disappointment to the Speaker’s chair?
There may be favourites, but we simply won’t know until this unprecedented occasion is completed. At least you can follow it all on politics.co.uk.
