UK: Under Labour majority, House of Commons reelects Lindsay Hoyle speaker

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - In a significant day for the new UK parliament under a Labour majority for the first time in 14 years, members of parliament (MPs) on Tuesday reelected Sir Lindsay Hoyle speaker of the House of Commons.

The session began with the MPs taking their seats, with the first order of business being the selection of the speaker.

The proceedings were presided over by Sir Edward Leigh, father of the house and the MP with the longest continuous service in parliament.

As anticipated, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the previous speaker, expressed his willingness to continue in the role.

Labour MP Cat Smith formally moved the motion for Lindsay to take the chair as speaker.

The motion got unanimous support from the House, marked by resounding shouts of "Aye" and no objections, allowing Lindsay to assume the position of speaker-elect.

In his address to the Commons, Lindsay emphasized his commitment to maintaining fairness, impartiality, and independence. He reflected on his previous tenure.

"It’s been an absolute privilege to serve this House as the 158th speaker. I’ve got to say that four-and-a-half years have flown," he said.

In elections last Thursday, the Labour Party won the House of Commons by a landslide, capturing 412 of the chamber's 650 seats.

The Conservative Party, which had ruled the country for the last 14 years, suffered a major defeat by losing 250 seats, from 471 to 121, with 23.7% of the vote.