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An election for Lord Speaker, the presiding officer of the House of Lords, was held from 13 to 15 April 2021. The incumbent, Lord Fowler, announced on 25 February that he would resign from the office in late April, about four months before the end of his first term. [1] [2]
Members of the House of Lords who wished to stand for election were required to have a proposer and a seconder. The alternative vote system was used in the election and all members who had taken the oath in the current parliament by 25 March 2021 and were not on leave of absence, disqualified or suspended from the House were eligible to stand and to vote. The election was held remotely by postal and online voting. [3]
Timetable is as follows: [3] [4]
The following members of the House were registered as candidates: [10]
| Election of Lord Speaker, 13–15 April 2021 [14] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Count 1 | Count 2 | ||
| Independent |  Lord McFall of Alcluith | 241 | 336 | ||
| Liberal Democrats | Lord Alderdice | 227 | 269 | ||
| Labour | Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town | 171 | - | ||
| Electorate: 784 Valid: 639 Quota: 320 Turnout: 639 | |||||
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest institutions in the world, its origins lie in the early 11th century and the emergence of bicameralism in the 13th century.
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 members known as members of Parliament (MPs). MPs are elected to represent constituencies by the first-past-the-post system and hold their seats until Parliament is dissolved.
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the lower house and primary chamber of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The current speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, was elected Speaker on 4 November 2019, following the retirement of John Bercow. Hoyle began his first full parliamentary term in the role on 17 December 2019, having been unanimously re-elected after the 2019 general election.
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John Francis McFall, Baron McFall of Alcluith is a British politician and life peer who has served as Lord Speaker since 2021. He was a member of Parliament for the Labour and Co-operative Party from 1987 to 2010, first for Dumbarton and then from 2005 for West Dunbartonshire. He also served as Chairman of the House of Commons Treasury Committee. Following his appointment to the House of Lords, McFall served as Senior Deputy Speaker from 2016 to 2021 before succeeding Lord Fowler as Lord Speaker.
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