- Chairman of Ways and Means
-
This article is about the position in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. For the position in the United States House of Representatives, see United States House Committee on Ways and Means.
In the United Kingdom, the Chairman of Ways and Means is a senior member of the House of Commons who acts as one of the Speaker's three deputies. The position is currently held by Lindsay Hoyle, Member of Parliament for Chorley, who was elected by secret ballot on 8 June 2010.
Contents
History and functions
The Chairman of Ways and Means is the principal Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, presiding over the House in the Speaker's absence. The Chairman also takes the Chair of the Committee of the Whole House. The Chairman's title is derived from his role in the former Committee of Ways and Means, which was abolished in 1967. The Chairman's connection with the financial responsibilities of this Committee gave rise to the tradition that the Chairman presides over the annual budget debate, although there is no reason why the Speaker cannot do so if they choose. The Chairman is always a senior Member of the House, often with experience of chairing Standing Committees, and sometimes also of being a Government Minister.
Since 1902 the House has also appointed a First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means together with a further Second Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means being appointed from 1971 onwards, who also deputise for the Speaker in the Chair or by chairing Committees of the Whole House, although the Chairman has certain additional and distinct responsibilities (for instance, in relation to Private Bills and overseeing the Panel of Committee Chairs).
Once appointed, both the Chairman of Ways and Means and the Deputy Chairmen follow the same tradition of neither speaking nor voting on any matter before the House (unless a casting vote is required). Unlike the Speaker, though, they remain members of their political party and campaign in general elections as party politicians. The Chairman and Second Deputy Chairman are elected from the opposite side of the House to the Speaker, while the First Deputy Chairman comes from the same side. Because the four do not vote (except to break a tie), this effectively pairs the occupants of the chair (their presumed support for their side cancelling each other out), which means no party loses a voting advantage on account of having one of the four drawn from its ranks.
Male Deputy Speakers wear morning dress (a black frock-coat with black waistcoat and grey and black striped trousers) when presiding.
List of Chairmen of Ways and Means since 1826
Bold type indicates a Chairman who was later elected as the Speaker of the House of Commons.
List of First Deputy Chairmen of Ways and Means
List of Second Deputy Chairmen of Ways and Means
From Until Name Party Constituency Retirement honour 1971 1973 Lance Mallalieu Labour Brigg ... 1973 1974 Oscar Murton Conservative Poole Baron Murton of Lindisfarne 1974 1976 Sir Myer Galpern Labour Glasgow Shettleston Baron Galpern 1976 1979 Sir Bryant Godman Irvine Conservative Rye ... 1979 1981 Richard Crawshaw Labour Liverpool Toxteth Baron Crawshaw of Aintree 1981 1982 Ernest Armstrong Labour North West Durham ... 1982 1987 Sir Paul Dean Conservative Woodspring Baron Dean of Harptree 1987 1992 Betty Boothroyd Labour West Bromwich West Baroness Boothroyd 1992 1997 Dame Janet Fookes Conservative Plymouth Drake Baroness Fookes 1997 2010 Sir Michael Lord Conservative Central Suffolk and North Ipswich Baron Framlingham 2010 Dawn Primarolo Labour Bristol South See also
- Committee of Ways and Means
- Speaker of the House of Commons
External links
- Ways and Means in the parliamentary glossary
- Chairman of Ways and Means in the BBC parliamentary dictionary
Chairmen of Ways and Means Grant · Bernal Osborne · Greene · Bernal Osborne · Wilson-Patten · Pleydell-Bouverie · Fitzroy · Massey · Dobson · Bonham Carter · Raikes · Playfair · Otway · Courtney · Mellor · Lowther · Lawson · Emmott · Whitley · Hope · Young · Hope · Herbert · Clifton Brown · Milner · MacAndrew · Touche · Anstruther-Gray · Maybray-King · Storey · Fletcher · Irving · Grant-Ferris · Thomas · Murton · Weatherill · Walker · Morris · Haselhurst · Hoyle
Second Deputy Chairmen of Ways and Means Categories:- Legislative speakers
- Speakers of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom
- Westminster system
- Parliament of the United Kingdom
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
