Commons doesn't 'need the competition' of a second elected chamber, says Sir Lindsay Hoyle amid plans tabled by Labour

20 December 2022, 19:35 | Updated: 20 December 2022, 20:13

Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle has tonight said he doesn't agree with proposals for a 'second elected chamber' in place of the current House of Lords.

Speaking on Tonight with Andrew Marr, Hoyle said he disagreed with the proposals tabled by Labour calling for the abolition of the House of Lords and reforms to the peerage system.

“People will say ‘we’ve got more and more peers who don’t carry out duties and question marks over others, is that what we should have?’" said Hoyle.

“What I would say is the second chamber has been very, very useful to the House of Commons. It’s been refining the business, getting the bills tidied up and sending them back in good order.”

He added: "I don’t think we should have, a second house that is elected.

“I don’t want competition – who’s got supremacy?”

Sir Lindsay Hoyle doesn't believe we should have an elected chamber

“At the moment it’s very clear, the House of Commons is the elected house of supremacy. Once you have a second house that’s elected, then you’re into an arm wrestle – who has the power?”

“What I would say is if people want to reform it, please do, but do not have a second elected house”

“We don’t need the competition”

“The House of Commons is what people recognise as the senior house, we don’t want any arm struggles. We want very distinct powers separated… but not via an election.”

Going on to describe 2022 as a “quite unbelievable” year, the speaker also reflected on Boris Johnson’s premiership.

“If you think, three Prime Ministers within three months – nobody would have envisaged it. But also the fact we’ve now got three ex-Prime Ministers and a Prime Minister that can all be sitting in the house at the same time… I never thought I’d face anything like this.”

Sir Lindsay Hoyle: 2022 was 'quite unbelievable'

“You were running out of people,” said Hoyle of the stream of rapid resignations taking place over the course of 2022.

“Others were melting away as quickly as it was happening.”

“It was like a revolving door. Some were being replaced then they’d have to resign. It couldn’t carry on at that stage, we knew it had come to a tipping point and something had to give,” added the speaker.

“There was nobody left around and it was becoming the last person standing”

Hoyle also went on to talk about his future as Speaker of the House, adding that his goal is “nicer politics”.

Noting he planned to stand for the position of speaker again, Hoyle added: “I want to ensure democracy is secure in the future”.