Biography of Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle
Rt Hon. Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP is the 158th Speaker of the UK House of Commons and has been the Member of Parliament for Chorley since 1997. In 2010 - 2019 he was elected Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Ways and Means.
Speaker Hoyle is married to Catherine and - has a daughter, Emma, and two grandchildren, who keep him busy when away from politics. He is a big animal lover and and has a huge passion for sports – he loves watching cricket, is a long-standing supporter of English Football League team Bolton Wanderers and Rugby League team Warrington Wolves.
Political Roots
Speaker Hoyle’s world has always revolved around politics. In 1957, he attended his first Labour Party conference as a baby with his late father, Lord Doug Hoyle; who was a long-standing MP and then ennobled in 1997. Lord Hoyle passed away in April 2024.
Speaker Hoyle became the youngest ever councilor to serve Chorley when elected in 1980 at the age of 22. He then became Deputy Leader of Chorley Council and the Mayor of Chorley in 1997-1998, before winning the seat of Chorley as its Member of Parliament in 1997. He was the first Labour MP to represent the constituency for 18 years.
As a backbench MP, Speaker Hoyle served on the Trade & Industry Select Committee, the European Scrutiny Committee. In 2010, he was elected by fellow MPs to the position of Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Ways and Means (the first time that elections had been held for this position).
Speakership 2019 - Present
Speaker Hoyle was elected as Speaker of the House of Commons on 4 November 2019, following the resignation of former Speaker John Bercow. He was elected on a pledge to be an impartial Chair in the Chamber, to keep MPs, staff and their families safe, and to continue to improve the culture within Parliament.
Speaker Hoyle is a keen supporter of the Armed Forces and has been a strong voice for them during his time as Speaker. Another high priority during his Speakership is to strengthen and renew the UK’s ties with the Commonwealth group of nations and British Overseas Territories supporting and developing global democracy across the British Family.
The role of the Speaker comprises of three core pillars:
As set out in the procedural guide, Erskine May, the functions of the Speaker fall into three main categories:
Presiding Officer – As the 158th Speaker of the House of Commons, Speaker Hoyle presides over Chamber debates with impartiality, enforcing rules and procedures and is the guardian of parliamentary democracy ensuring backbench MPs can hold the Government to account.
Administrative –The Speaker has administrative responsibilities through his role chairing the House of Commons Commission, which incorporates a stewardship of the House of Commons Estate and the staff employed by the House of Commons Administration. In this role, he advocates for the parliamentary community and to ensure their needs are met and their concerns are addressed. He also chairs other Committees such as the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission and the Speaker’s Committee on the Independant Standards Parliamentary Authority.
Representative – Speaker Hoyle is the spokesperson and representative of the House of Commons to the Crown, the House of Lords, and other bodies including on the national and international stage. Speaker Hoyle also plays a ceremonial role in events within in Parliament such as state opening. He also represents the House at international conferences alongside fellow Speakers.
Learn more about the role of the Speaker from the House of Commons Library briefing, The office and role of Speaker.