Speaker’s Conference on the security of MPs – Public evidence session

The Speaker’s Conference (2024) will on Wednesday, 26th February 2025, hold a public evidence session for their work in considering the factors influencing the threat levels against candidates and MPs during the election period, and the effectiveness of the response to such threats.  

Panel 1  

• Vijay Rangarajan, Chief Executive at Electoral Commission 

• Niki Nixon, Director of Communications at Electoral Commission 

• Peter Stanyon, Chief Executive at Association of Electoral Administrators 

• Kevin Ives, National Co-Ordinator for Election Crime at City of London 

Panel 2   

• Will Fletcher, Interim CEO at The Jo Cox Foundation  

• Professor Helen Margetts, Professor of Society and the Internet at Oxford University  

• Dr Sofia Collignon, Senior Lecturer in Comparative Politics at Queen Mary University of London  

The evidence session will be broadcast on Parliament Live from 15:40 on 26th February.   

About the Speaker’s Conference  

The committee, which is to be known as the Speaker’s Conference, was established to help ensure that elections to the UK Parliament are conducted freely and fairly, without threats or violence; that candidates are able to campaign safely, with appropriate protection and support; and that elected representatives can do their job securely.    

Specifically, the Conference will consider factors influencing the threat levels against candidates and MPs and the effectiveness of the response to these threats. It will make recommendations about the arrangements necessary to secure free and fair elections and the appropriate protection of candidates at future UK-wide parliamentary elections and of elected representatives thereafter.   

The House of Commons approved the motion to establish the Conference on 14 October 2024. It has been established for the remainder of this Parliament.   

How Speaker’s Conferences work  

A Speaker's Conference is a cross-party group of MPs brought together by the Commons Speaker to consider a specific topic. The Speaker can call such a conference at any time, either independently or on the Prime Minister’s recommendation.   

Speakers’ Conferences have similar powers to select committees and can request documents, call witnesses and take oral and written evidence. They are not bound to the procedures of select committees, however, and have the discretion to operate under the Speaker’s guidance.