The office

What a Speaker does

The Speaker or President of a chamber presides over its sittings, keeps order and represents the chamber. The detail of the role differs by country.

• In the UK House of Commons, the Speaker controls debate in the chamber and remains a serving MP with constituency work.¹
• Under section 46 of Canada's Constitution Act, 1867, the Speaker presides at all meetings of the House of Commons.⁴
• Under Article 107 of Kenya's Constitution, the Speaker presides at sittings, and the Speaker of the National Assembly presides at joint sittings of both Houses.⁵
• The UK Lord Speaker chairs debates from the woolsack in a less interventionist role than the Commons Speaker, chairs the House of Lords Commission and has a ceremonial role, including representing the House at major events.²
• Speakers also meet internationally. The IPU, in close cooperation with the United Nations, holds a World Conference of Speakers of Parliament every five years.³

Sources

1. Institute for Government, Speaker of the House of Commons (explainer) (10 January 2019)
2. Institute for Government, Lord Speaker (explainer) (2 February 2026)
3. Inter-Parliamentary Union, World Conference of Speakers of Parliament
4. Constitute Project, Constitution Acts of Canada, 1867 to 1982 (Constitute Project)
5. Constitute Project, Constitution of Kenya, 2010 (Constitute Project)