By Tony Grew - 9th May 2011
The Lord Speaker, Baroness Hayman, has announced she will not seek re-election later this year.
She was elected to the role in June 2006, beating eight other candidates.
Baroness Hayman does not intend to put her name forward as a candidate in the Speakership election which will be held on 13 July, and will step down from her post as Lord Speaker in the summer.
Announcing her decision, Baroness Hayman said:
"It has been a great honour to serve the House as its first elected Lord Speaker for the past five years.
"The role has allowed me the privilege of representing the House of Lords both in the United Kingdom and overseas.
"It has also provided the opportunity to explain the workings of the House and its unique strengths to a wide audience through the varied range of outreach activities we have been able to establish.
"The programme of work undertaken by many peers during the last five years has, I hope, had a positive effect – especially amongst young people – on perceptions of the work of Parliament."
The House of Lords procedure committee has suggested changes to the election of the Lord Speaker.
Standing orders state that "elections shall be held (a) no more than five years after the previous election, or (b) within three months of the death of the Lord Speaker, or his giving notice of resignation, if sooner".
However, the procedure committee concluded that that standing order is "defective", as the date of the election is fixed by reference to the preceding election.
The committee has suggested a fixed date with a handover period between the election and taking office, to allow a new Lord Speaker "to rearrange his or her affairs, for instance in order to comply with the rules on the Lord Speaker's financial interests".
Baroness Hayman said she is "looking forward to once again playing an active part in the work of the House from the crossbenches and to renewing my involvement in social policy issues".
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