Speaker News: Lookback at the week commencing 6 January 2025

Speaker in the Chair

On Monday, the Speaker of the House of Commons started the first sitting of 2025 with questions to John Healey MP, Secretary of State for Defence.

On Wednesday, the Speaker chaired Prime Minister’s Questions. This 30-minute sessions allows backbenchers to ask questions directly to the Prime Minister and hold the government to account.

Beyond the Speaker’s Chair

On Tuesday, the Speaker welcomed the Hon. Milton Dick, Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives, to Speaker’s House. During their bilateral meeting, they discussed the working of their respective Parliaments and shared experiences from their time as Speakers.

On Wednesday, the Speaker also was joined by Speaker Shri Om Birla, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha of India. We discussed the potential that AI holds in improving parliamentary procedures.

Later in the week, the Speaker joined the aforementioned Speakers, and other Commonwealth Speakers, in Guernsey for the Standing Committee of the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth.

This committee holds a full membership conference every 2 years, with the next in 2026. The Standing Committee meets on alternate years to plan the Conference for the following year to ensure topics and conversations are as productive as possible to all members.

Finally, ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day, the Speaker signed the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment, pledging to never forget those discriminated against and murdered in genocides.