Latest news with #LindsayHoyle
Daily Tribune
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Tribune
Bahraini Parliamentary Delegation Concludes Landmark Visit to the United Kingdom
His Excellency Ahmed bin Salman Al-Musallam, Speaker of Bahrain's Parliament, concluded a successful official visit to the United Kingdom. The visit came at the invitation of the Right Honourable Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons, as part of a mutual drive to usher in a new era of parliamentary cooperation and shared progress between the two nations. The high-level delegation engaged in a series of strategic meetings and discussions focused on boosting parliamentary, political, and economic collaboration. Central to the visit was a pivotal dialogue between HE Al-Musallam and Sir Lindsay Hoyle, during which both parties agreed to embark on a renewed phase of bilateral parliamentary partnership. This includes the exchange of legislative expertise and the strengthening of institutional ties. HE Al-Musallam also extended a formal invitation to his British counterpart to visit the Kingdom of Bahrain in the near future, marking a potential milestone in legislative diplomacy. As part of Bahrain's broader vision for economic growth and international investment, the Speaker also held talks with Alderman Alastair King, Lord Mayor of the City of London. The meeting centered on enhancing financial cooperation and investment opportunities between Bahraini and British institutions, while also emphasizing the importance of evolving legislative frameworks that attract global capital and support sustainable economic growth. Furthering its commitment to parliamentary diplomacy, the delegation met with the UK Parliament's All-Party Parliamentary Group on Bahrain. Discussions explored regional and global developments, and both sides reaffirmed the importance of open dialogue in shaping stronger legislative cooperation. The meeting underscored the shared desire to build bridges between the two parliaments and contribute to a broader understanding of mutual interests. The visit also featured a reception hosted by Bahrain's Embassy in the UK, attended by Members of the House of Commons and House of Lords, as well as British officials. The gathering provided a platform to highlight Bahrain's role in promoting regional stability and development, while celebrating the strong bonds between both nations. HE Al-Musallam praised the efforts of His Excellency Sheikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Dean of the Arab Diplomatic Corps and Bahrain's Ambassador to the UK, for his instrumental role in strengthening Bahrain-UK relations. He reaffirmed Bahrain's commitment to advancing parliamentary dialogue with both Houses of the British Parliament to serve shared interests and support regional peace and sustainable development. The Bahraini parliamentary delegation included: MP Abdulnabi Salman Nasser, First Deputy Speaker MP Hassan Eid Bukhamas, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security Committee MP Hassan Ibrahim Hassan, Deputy Chair of the same committee MP Zainab Abdulameer Khalil MP Maryam Saleh Al-Dhaen MP Dr. Hesham Ahmed Al Ashiri Engineer Mohammed Ibrahim Al Sisi Al Buainain, Secretary-General of the Council of Representatives The visit marks a renewed commitment to stronger bilateral ties, laying the groundwork for future cooperation that reflects the enduring friendship between Bahrain and the United Kingdom — a partnership warmly supported by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and His Majesty King Charles III.
Spectator
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
What was the point of the Strategic Defence Review?
This weekend has not been a masterclass in political communications by the government. Selected morsels of the Strategic Defence Review were dropped over several days, concluding with an anodyne launch by the prime minister at BAE Systems in Govan. The result: the prime minister and the defence secretary contradicting each other on defence spending, a rightly furious tirade from the speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, for neglecting Parliament and an urgent question from the Opposition. They are not good at this. It is plainly unacceptable that some journalists had sight of the full text of the SDR five hours before Members of Parliament could obtain copies. But is the 144-page review itself, emetically subtitled 'Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, the defence moment of a generation' an actual 'plan for transformation', as Defence Secretary John Healey told the House of Commons? Nae danger, as my Glaswegian grandmother would have said.
Rhyl Journal
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Rhyl Journal
Speaker warns that abuse and threats are undermining democracy
A survey by the Speaker's Conference revealed about half of MPs said threatening behaviour had caused anxiety or depression (49%), with a similar share feeling unsafe as a result (52%). The inquiry concluded that electoral law is 'not fit for purpose' in relation to tackling abuse of political candidates in elections and called for a Government review to assess security and electoral integrity. This phase of the Conference was established in 2024 to help ensure that elections to Parliament are conducted freely and fairly, without threats or violence. It also seeks to enable candidates to campaign safely and support elected representatives to do their job securely. Commenting on the findings, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Commons Speaker and chairman of the Speaker's Conference, said: 'Participating in free and fair democratic processes – as a candidate or a Member of Parliament – is a privilege, and we expect that to come with robust political discourse and debate. 'But abuse, threats and intimidation should never be part of this job. It threatens the health of our democracy, and forces people to choose between the public good and their own safety and wellbeing. 'I am grateful to members, their staff and the witnesses we have heard from to date for sharing their experiences with us and look forward to working with colleagues on the next phase of the Conference's work.' In other findings, 96% of MPs and 69% of their staff members indicated that they had experienced some form of abuse in their role. One in five MPs said they had 'hesitated' about debating or voting on an issue because of the abuse they expected to receive, while 29% said they had considered not standing for re-election for the same reason. The survey also found that 17% of MPs had considered resigning from public office due to concerns over threatening behaviour and their personal security. Many staff who responded to the survey said the abuse they or their MP had received had caused them to feel anxious or depressed (42%), or unsafe (48%). In a series of recommendations, the committee said: 'Currently electoral law is not fit for purpose when it comes to tackling harassment, abuse and intimidation of candidates. 'The Government should undertake a full review of electoral law, including identifying practices or processes that unintentionally undermine security or electoral integrity.' The recommendations 'as a minimum' include the removal of the option for home addresses to be published as part of the nomination process for candidates. The MPs also called for the Government to work with the electoral commission 'to review the adequacy of nomination requirements in protecting elections from candidates seeking to mislead the electorate or undermine the integrity of the democratic process'. The report called for a review to ensure section 106 of the Representation of the People Act 1983, which aims to prevent false statements regarding candidates' character and conduct, is enforceable and equipped to keep pace with developments in technology such as AI and deepfakes. The report said the Speaker will work with political parties in Parliament and the Electoral Commission to establish a code of conduct for all candidates, MPs and parties, including a collectively agreed set of 'principles to guide behaviours and language when campaigning'. However, the committee concluded that further security measures 'would lead to a fundamental and undesirable change in the way MPs carry out their roles and engage with their constituents'. It added: 'The focus must instead be on encouraging appropriate uptake and effective delivery of existing measures… and reducing the level of threat posed to MPs and candidates, which will be at the centre of the Conference's second phase of work.'
South Wales Guardian
02-06-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Speaker warns that abuse and threats are undermining democracy
A survey by the Speaker's Conference revealed about half of MPs said threatening behaviour had caused anxiety or depression (49%), with a similar share feeling unsafe as a result (52%). The inquiry concluded that electoral law is 'not fit for purpose' in relation to tackling abuse of political candidates in elections and called for a Government review to assess security and electoral integrity. This phase of the Conference was established in 2024 to help ensure that elections to Parliament are conducted freely and fairly, without threats or violence. It also seeks to enable candidates to campaign safely and support elected representatives to do their job securely. Commenting on the findings, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Commons Speaker and chairman of the Speaker's Conference, said: 'Participating in free and fair democratic processes – as a candidate or a Member of Parliament – is a privilege, and we expect that to come with robust political discourse and debate. 'But abuse, threats and intimidation should never be part of this job. It threatens the health of our democracy, and forces people to choose between the public good and their own safety and wellbeing. 'I am grateful to members, their staff and the witnesses we have heard from to date for sharing their experiences with us and look forward to working with colleagues on the next phase of the Conference's work.' In other findings, 96% of MPs and 69% of their staff members indicated that they had experienced some form of abuse in their role. One in five MPs said they had 'hesitated' about debating or voting on an issue because of the abuse they expected to receive, while 29% said they had considered not standing for re-election for the same reason. The survey also found that 17% of MPs had considered resigning from public office due to concerns over threatening behaviour and their personal security. Many staff who responded to the survey said the abuse they or their MP had received had caused them to feel anxious or depressed (42%), or unsafe (48%). In a series of recommendations, the committee said: 'Currently electoral law is not fit for purpose when it comes to tackling harassment, abuse and intimidation of candidates. 'The Government should undertake a full review of electoral law, including identifying practices or processes that unintentionally undermine security or electoral integrity.' The recommendations 'as a minimum' include the removal of the option for home addresses to be published as part of the nomination process for candidates. The MPs also called for the Government to work with the electoral commission 'to review the adequacy of nomination requirements in protecting elections from candidates seeking to mislead the electorate or undermine the integrity of the democratic process'. The report called for a review to ensure section 106 of the Representation of the People Act 1983, which aims to prevent false statements regarding candidates' character and conduct, is enforceable and equipped to keep pace with developments in technology such as AI and deepfakes. The report said the Speaker will work with political parties in Parliament and the Electoral Commission to establish a code of conduct for all candidates, MPs and parties, including a collectively agreed set of 'principles to guide behaviours and language when campaigning'. However, the committee concluded that further security measures 'would lead to a fundamental and undesirable change in the way MPs carry out their roles and engage with their constituents'. It added: 'The focus must instead be on encouraging appropriate uptake and effective delivery of existing measures… and reducing the level of threat posed to MPs and candidates, which will be at the centre of the Conference's second phase of work.'
Spectator
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Watch: Speaker slams Sir Keir over defence review leaks
Sir Keir Starmer's Labour lot are in the bad books with Speaker Lindsay Hoyle after details of the government's Strategic Defence Review mysteriously appeared in several newspapers before the Prime Minister's speech this morning. The Speaker was rather unimpressed with the whole thing – given he has had to remind Starmer's army on multiple occasions that it is a breach of the ministerial code – and today tore into the PM's party. Blasting the leaks as 'regrettable', Hoyle dressed down the government benches:
