Lord Fowler elected as new Lord Speaker
13 June 2016 (updated on 13 June 2016)
Lord Fowler has been appointed as the next Speaker of the House of Lords following the election that took place on Wednesday 8 June 2016.
Lord Fowler is the third elected Lord Speaker since the post was established in 2006. He succeeds Baroness D’Souza and will take up the post on 1 September 2016. He will preside over a sitting of the House of Lords for the first time on 5 September 2016.
About Lord Fowler
Lord Fowler was appointed as a Conservative peer in 2001. He has previously chaired the HIV and Aids in the UK Committee, the Communications Committee and the BBC Charter Review Committee. Before appointment to the House of Lords Lord Fowler was an MP, first elected in 1970. He was chair of the Conservative party, and served in the Cabinet for 11 years, including as Secretary of State for Employment, Secretary of State for Health and Social Security, and Secretary of State for Transport.
About the Lord Speaker
The Lord Speaker chairs daily business in the chamber and is an ambassador for the work of the House.
The Lord Speaker is elected by the members of the House of Lords for a period of five years and may serve for no more than two terms.