The Lord Chamberlain, , announced Lord Forsyth's
appointment as Lord Speaker by His Majesty the King in the
chamber of the House of Lords today. The Clerk of the
Parliaments, , reported the results of the
election in which secured a majority of 86 and
56.3% of the vote.
was appointed to the House of
Lords in 1999. He is a former Chairman of the House of Lords
Economic Affairs Committee and is the current Chairman of the
Financial Services Regulation Committee and of the Association of
Conservative Peers. was a member of the House of
Commons for 14 years and served in Government for a decade as a
Minister of State in the Home Office and in the Department of
Employment before joining Cabinet prior to devolution as
Secretary of State for Scotland. He was Knighted in 1997 and
appointed to the Privy Council in 1995. As Lord Speaker he will
relinquish his business and outside interests.
Commenting following his election said:
“I would like to thank all my supporters for the
trust and confidence they have shown in me. I am grateful too to
my opponent who ran a vigorous,
courteous, and friendly campaign.
“I would also like to pay tribute to the outgoing Lord Speaker. He
has made great strides in improving the governance of the House
and the accountability of the administration to Members. I
intend to build on that work as Chair of the House of Lords
Commission and Lord Speaker.”
The election of the new Lord Speaker follows the announcement
that will step down at the end of
January. Lord Forsyth's first day on the Woolsack as Lord
Speaker will be on Monday 2 February 2026.
The Lord Speaker plays a key role in the governance of the House
of Lords as Chair of the House of Lords Commission and oversees
proceedings in the chamber. The Lord Speaker also acts
as an ambassador for the Lords at home and abroad, explaining and
promoting the work of the House of Lords and its contribution to
the UK's parliamentary system.
Notes to Editors
- The full results of the Lord Speaker election were:
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
|
of Drumlean
|
383
|
|
|
297
|
|
Number of eligible voters
|
814
|
|
Total Number of votes cast
|
680
|
|
Turn out
|
83.50%
|
