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Lord Speaker

Speaker of the
House of Lords
Logo used to represent the
House of Lords
since 1 May 2021
House of Lords
Style
  • Lord Speaker
    (informal and within the house)
  • Member's own peerage title
StatusPresiding officer
NominatorPolitical parties
AppointerThe House of Lords
approved and sworn in by the Sovereign
Term lengthFive years, renewable once
Formation4 July 2006
First holderThe Baroness Hayman
DeputySenior Deputy Speaker
WebsiteOfficial website

The Speaker of the House of Lords is the presiding officer, chairman and highest authority of the House of Lords in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The office is analogous to the Speaker of the House of Commons: the Lord Speaker is elected by the members of the House of Lords and is expected to be politically impartial.

Until July 2006, the role of presiding officer in the House of Lords was undertaken by the Lord Chancellor. Under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, the position of the speaker of the House of Lords (as it is termed in the Act) became a separate office, allowing the position to be held by someone other than the Lord Chancellor. The Lord Chancellor continued to act as speaker of the House of Lords in an interim period after the Act was passed while the House of Lords considered new arrangements about its speakership.

The current Lord Speaker is John McFall, Baron McFall of Alcluith. To date four people have held the role.


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