Committees

Elections within the House of Commons

Inquiry

Reforms introduced following the publication of the 2009 Report of the Reform of the House of Commons Committee, Rebuilding the House (‘the Wright Report’, so named after the Chair of the Committee, Tony Wright MP) included the election by the whole House for positions such as some select committee chairs and the Deputy Speakers.

The operation of these elections is governed by Standing Orders, however the practicalities around electioneering are not currently regulated, and there is often uncertainty about the types of voting system applied to each election, which varies depending on the position the House is electing.

This inquiry will look into the operation of these elections to positions within the House of Commons.

If you wish to contribute to the inquiry, please email the Committee at proccom@parliament.uk to discuss the Terms of Reference and how to submit written evidence.

Upcoming events

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No upcoming events scheduled

Past events

Wednesday 19 November 2025
2:30pm Private
2:45pm Public
Elections within the House of Commons - Oral evidence 19 November 2025
2:45pm
  • Peter Stanyon, Chief Executive, Association of Electoral Administrators
Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Wednesday 22 October 2025
2:30pm Private
2:45pm Public
Elections within the House of Commons - Oral evidence 22 October 2025
2:45pm
  • Professor Meg Russell, Director at UCL Constitution Unit
  • Dr Marc Geddes, Senior Lecturer in Politics at University of Edinburgh
  • Dr Stephen Holden Bates, Senior Lecturer in Political Science at University of Birmingham
Room 16, Palace of Westminster
Wednesday 23 April 2025
2:30pm Private
3:00pm Public
Elections within the House of Commons - Oral evidence 23 April 2025
3:00pm
  • Natascha Engel
  • The Rt Hon. the Baroness Primarolo
3:30pm
  • Rt Hon Nigel Evans
  • The Rt Hon. the Baroness Laing of Elderslie DBE
  • The Rt Hon. the Baroness Winterton of Doncaster DBE
Room 15, Palace of Westminster

Contact us

  • Email: proccom@parliament.uk
  • Phone: General enquiries: 020 7219 3351 | Media enquiries: 020 7219 0969 / CommonsPressOffice@parliament.uk
  • Address: Procedure Committee, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA