House of Commons Hansard Debates for 7 May 1997 (pt 1)

Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody (Crewe and Nantwich): Sir Edward, this is a truly beautiful day. The sun is shining, God is in his heaven, and I am happy to see a majority of the House of Commons wearing the right colours.

The lady whom I have the honour to propose as Speaker of this august House, the right hon. Member for West Bromwich, West (Miss Boothroyd), fought a unique election campaign, wearing a green rosette. One very rarely has the opportunity to introduce to one's colleagues, so many of them new to the House, a person of such sterling value and remarkable ability.

Many here, perhaps those who have arrived for the first time today, will think that they know our Speaker, because they know her public persona as a witty, hard-hitting Yorkshirewoman who is very much in charge and keeps us all in our place. That, of course, is what she does, but behind that public persona is another person who is much valued by all Members of the House of Commons, from all parties. She understands not only our abilities but our frailties. Unlike some here, she got here only after five attempts.

For all that, when the right hon. Lady came here, she had such a lot to contribute that she soon began to make her mark. As many of us know, she worked here in the Palace in all sorts of capacities, and for some remarkably modest people such as Barbara Castle and Geoffrey de Freitas. She learned many skills from the people with whom she worked when she first came into the House.

The right hon. Lady had to wait a certain amount of time, not least because even some members of the organisation committee of the Labour party had the effrontery to tell her that she should be a little older before trying to be a Member of Parliament; I do not know what they would have done with the present candidates list. She got here, however, because the people of West Bromwich recognised in her an outstanding woman.

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The right hon. Lady has served the House for what seems to me a very short time, but she has done so with intelligence, ability and remarkable tolerance. She understands, because she has been in our Whips Office, every trick that we can use and change that we can make to get what we want. She understands the importance of the procedures of the House which, though sometimes arcane, contribute to the delivery of free speech. Above all, she is the person who protects that free speech, because to her the importance of the House of Commons lies in its ability to speak for the people, to be their voice and to represent them.

The right hon. Lady has had a rather different election campaign from some of us. I do not think that, like me, she had a gentleman falling out of a pub at her feet and asking what she intended to do for the alcoholic vote. I had to say, "Not a great deal." However, I was comforted to learn his politics when he reeled away into the distance shouting, "Hope you lose."

In spite of the fact that, in a return to a much older and more dignified procedure, the right hon. Lady did not have quite so many opponents, she comes to the House as one of the most lively and caring Members of Parliament. Hon. Members may not know that she takes her role as chief Speaker of the Commonwealth--if I may call her that--as a great duty. She not only has a public persona in Britain but is well known all over the Commonwealth. She welcomes people of every nationality, colour and religion throughout her working term to show them what we do, why it is important and why that tradition of democracy needs to be spread even further. She not only welcomes individuals but is a very gregarious character. Those of us who have the privilege of counting her among our friends know that she tries to spread friendship, kindness and understanding among Members of parties of all sizes and shapes, and now even between different genders.

Sir Edward, you and I have seen one or two summers, but we 21-year-olds know how to appreciate the important things of life. It is therefore a great privilege and a great honour for me to propose to the House of Commons that its Speaker be the right hon. Member for West Bromwich, West.

2.55 pm

Mr. John MacGregor (South Norfolk): Sir Edward, may I say how delighted we are that you are back as leader--[Interruption.]--as Father of the House. You have given distinguished service to the country, always as a true parliamentarian and, above all, as a House of Commons man. We all wish you well in your continuing endeavours both in Parliament and in serving your constituency in the whole of the lifetime of this Parliament.

The last time that I met the right hon. Member for West Bromwich, West (Miss Boothroyd) was just before the dissolution of the last Parliament when we were together late at night, in very convivial circumstances, arm in arm, in a chorus line singing, "We'll meet again." More of that later, but little did I think then that when we met again, I would have the great pleasure and privilege of seconding the proposal that she should again be our Speaker.

I would like to make three points. First, those of us who were in the last Parliament know already the right hon. Lady's many sterling qualities, which is why she is

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our unanimous choice as Speaker, without the need for an election. She has been vigorous and sometimes quite necessarily tough--and I am delighted that she has been--but always with good humour. She has been firm, but always fair. She has always protected the rights of hon. Members on both sides of the House and, in particular, those of Back Benchers.

When the House was dissolved at the end of the last Parliament, my successor as Leader of the House paid a tribute to the right hon. Lady. Leaders of the House come to know Speakers very well, as I came to know the right hon. Lady's predecessor well. The tribute did not surprise me, because we all came to regard with admiration the qualities that I have described.

Secondly, I have always been a strong advocate of reforming the House of Commons to ensure that it is as effective as possible and keeps up to date. I have always been a firm believer in the high reputation of this House. There is no more honourable position for anyone than to be a Member of it. In both those respects, the right hon. Lady carried forward splendidly those objectives during the last Parliament. She, among others, helped to implement the Jopling reforms, which I believe have made us much more effective and which I was delighted to initiate when I was Leader of the House. She has undoubtedly ensured that the reputation of this House has been protected.

I am saddened--like others, I am sure--at the apparent decline of the reputation of the House of Commons and of Members of Parliament. I say "apparent", because I believe that much of the excellent work that is done in the House and for the integrity of the House is not translated sufficiently to the world at large. Sometimes the antics in the Chamber form an impression among people outside of what the House is like. It is up to all of us to exercise discipline in the Chamber to ensure that the right message goes abroad. The right hon. Member for West Bromwich, West did much to ensure that the reputation of the House was protected by presiding over our proceedings in the last Parliament in the way that she did.

To follow the lead of the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Mrs. Dunwoody), may I say what a splendid job the right hon. Member for West Bromwich, West has done as ambassadress for the House in the country and in the rest of the world. We greatly respect that.

I return to the point with which I started. I am not sure that the right hon. Member for West Bromwich, West likes this to be mentioned too often, because she does it often in private and without fanfare, but one of the things that new Members of the House will discover is that, after all the passionate debate and vigorous disagreement, there is much friendliness and camaraderie on both sides of the House. The right hon. Lady did much to promote that during the last Parliament by hosting dinners and happy occasions in the Speaker's Chambers, from which so many of us benefited.

The right hon. Member for West Bromwich, West and I share a particular interest in that we both have a great love of the old variety music hall. I was--I am not sure what is the right word--lucky or perhaps foolish enough to perform three times in those events. They were tremendous events and great fun. I remember on the last occasion someone from the Labour party, who is now a member of the Government saying at about 11 o'clock in the evening, "If only others around the country could see

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what happens in the House and the way in which we have gathered together for a friendly occasion, what a different view they might take of us." Certainly the right hon. Lady has done much to promote that.

So the right hon. Member for West Bromwich, West has many of the qualities that we seek in a Speaker. There is no greater honour that the House can bestow on one of its number than to accept her as Speaker of the House. It is a role which is so important in upholding our democratic traditions, but it is no easy task. In having the great pleasure to second the right hon. Lady as Speaker of the House, I am sure that I speak for everyone in wishing her well in doing the job in this Parliament.

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