Speaker news: Lookback at the week commencing 2 September 2024

Speaker in the Chair  

On Monday, 2 September the House of Commons returned from summer recess. The Speaker started the week's business in the Chamber, chairing questions to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government.  

On Wednesday, the Speaker chaired Prime Ministers Questions at mid-day. An opportunity for Members to ask questions directly to the Prime Minister and hold the government to account. This was followed by a statement from the Prime Minister on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report.  

Beyond the Speaker’s Chair 

On Tuesday, the Speaker welcomed Rustem Umerov, Minister of Defence for Ukraine and H.E. General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the country’s Ambassador to the UK. The Speaker was updated on the recent attacks by Russia and Minister Umerov expressed the country’s need for additional military support as the country heads into winter. See more on Instagram. 

The Speaker met with HE Stefan Gullgren, Swedish Ambassador to the UK. They discussed our countries' support for Ukraine and exchanged experiences of getting young people involved in democracy. The Ambassador showed particular interest in UK Parliament Week that takes place in November 2024. See more on Instagram.  

G7 Speakers’ Summit 

Towards the end of the week, the Speaker attended the G7 Speakers’ Summit in Verona, Italy. Launched in 2001, to create a democratic collective of political representation to address issues of global significance. Working with his counterparts from France, Germany, Canada, United States, Japan and Italy – with the addition of guest representatives from the European Union, Ukraine and Tanzania – the Speaker discussed the topics of conflict and instability in Ukraine and the Middle East, growth in neighbouring countries and the development of AI and cyber security issues. 

The Speaker also hosted bilateral meetings with Speaker Johnson (USA), Speaker Fontana (ITA) Chairman Stefanchuk (UA) and Speaker Ackson (TZ) to strengthen relationships and discuss topics of specific interest to their respective nations.  

View the full thread of updates from the summit on X.