Chairman of Ways and Means

Senior member of the UK House of Commons

This article is about the position in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. For the position in the United States House of Representatives, see United States House Committee on Ways and Means.

* * *

Chairman of Ways and Means
and
Deputy Speaker
of the House of Commons

* * *

Logo used to represent the House of Commons

Incumbent
Nus Ghani

since 23 July 2024

Style|

* Madam/Mr. Deputy Speaker (whilst presiding)

Appointer| Elected by the House of Commons
Inaugural holder| Sir Alexander Grant
Formation| 1826
Deputy| Judith Cummins
(First Deputy Chairman) Caroline Nokes
(Second Deputy Chairman)

In the United Kingdom, the Chairman of Ways and Means is a senior member of the House of Commons who acts as one of the Speaker's three deputies. The current holder is Nusrat Ghani, following her election to the position on 23 July 2024. Ghani is the first ethnic minority MP to sit in the Speaker's chair.

## History and functions

[edit]

The Chairman of Ways and Means is the principal Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, presiding over the House in the Speaker's absence.[1] The chairman also takes the chair of the Committee of the Whole House. The chairman's title is derived from their role in the former Committee of Ways and Means, which was abolished in 1967.

The chairman's connection with the financial responsibilities of this committee gave rise to the tradition that the chairman presides over the annual budget debate, although there is no reason why the Speaker cannot do so if he or she chooses. The chairman is always a senior Member of the House, often with experience of chairing standing committees, and sometimes also of being a government minister.

The deputy chairmen also deputise for the Speaker in the chair or by chairing committees of the Whole House, although the chairman has certain additional and distinct responsibilities (for instance, in relation to private bills and overseeing the Panel of Committee Chairs).

The chairman is also chair of the Court of Referees, established in 1865.[2]

Once elected, both the Chairman of Ways and Means and the deputy chairmen follow the same tradition of neither speaking nor voting on any matter before the House (unless a casting vote is required). Unlike the Speaker, though, they remain members of their political party and campaign in general elections as party politicians.

## Election

[edit]

Before 2010, the chairman was appointed by the Leader of the House or another government minister,[3] with the first and second deputy chairmen being appointed by the House of Commons from 1902 and 1971 respectively, but in November 2009, a report was published by the Procedure Committee which made the chairman, first deputy and second deputy chairmen all elected[4] which was approved in January 2010, with the election process further detailed in a report published by the Procedure Committee in February 2010[5] and approved the following month.[6]

This election takes place after the election of the Speaker, and uses the Single Transferable Vote voting system, with the first candidate reaching the quota being elected as the chairman, the second candidate reaching the quota being elected as first deputy chairman and the third candidate reaching the quota being elected as second deputy chairman, but there are some rules on who can be elected.

The chairman and second deputy chairman are elected from the opposite side of the House to the (former) party of the Speaker, while the first deputy chairman comes from the same side, which can lead to some situations where only the chairman and second deputy chairman are actually elected and the first deputy chairman is effectively appointed to the role if there was only one candidate in the election from the (former) party of the Speaker. This is because, in this situation, the candidate from the (former) party of the Speaker would automatically be elected to be the first deputy chairman without appearing on the ballot paper.

There is usually a gap between the election of the Speaker and the election of the chairman and deputy chairmen of anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, which has led to the House of Commons nominating members to temporarily serve in these roles until elections could be held. A report from the Procedure Committee published in October 2011 recommended that a new standing order be created to give the Speaker the power to appoint a temporary chairman and temporary deputy chairmen to serve between the start of a Parliament and the election of these positions, but as of the present day, this standing order has not been created, which has led to the House agreeing to appoint temporary chairman and deputy chairmen in various different ways.[7]

For example, after the 2010 general election, the House agreed on 25 May that the Speaker could nominate people to serve as temporary chairman and deputy chairmen, while after the 2015 general election, the process was broadly the same, with the only difference being that the House agreed to the appointment of temporary chairman and deputy chairmen on 26 March, which is before the general election had taken place. After the 2017 and 2019 general elections, the Leader of the House put forward a motion on the day of the Queen's Speech which provided for the appointment of temporary chairman and deputy chairmen. The major difference between these is that, after the 2017 election, the motion put forward then was for the Speaker to nominate temporary chairman and deputy chairmen (like what had happened in 2010 and 2015), but after the 2019 election, the motion put forward was to itself appoint the temporary chairman and deputy chairmen.[8]

The Speaker (or the Leader of the House in 2019) didn't necessarily have to appoint people to fill all the roles. In fact, after every election where the chairmen and deputy chairmen were elected except 2019, the Speaker only appointed two people as Deputy Speakers, not as chairmen and deputy chairmen. Only in 2019 were there people appointed to all three roles and as chairmen and deputy chairmen.[8]

Because the Speaker, chairman and deputy chairmen do not vote (except to break a tie), this effectively pairs the occupants of the chair (their presumed support for their side cancelling each other out), which means no party loses a voting advantage on account of having one of the four drawn from its ranks.

## List of Chairmen of Ways and Means since 1826

[edit]

Bold type and light grey colour indicates a chairman who was later elected as the Speaker of the House of Commons.

Light blue colour indicates where a deputy chairman was promoted.

Light green colour indicates where a deputy chairman reached.

From  | Until  | Name  | Party  | Constituency  | Retirement honour

|
|
|
|
|

1826  | 1831  | Sir Alexander Grant, Bt |  | Conservative | Aldborough, Westbury | None
1831  | 1841  | Ralph Bernal |  | Whig | Rochester | None
1841  | 1847  | Thomas Greene |  | Conservative | Lancaster | None
1847  | 1852  | Ralph Bernal |  | Whig | Rochester | None
1852  | 1853  | John Wilson-Patten |  | Conservative | North Lancashire | Baron Winmarleigh (1874)
1853  | 1855  | Hon. Edward Pleydell-Bouverie |  | Whig | Kilmarnock Burghs | None
1855  | 1859  | Henry FitzRoy |  | Conservative | Lewes | None
1859  | 1864  | William Nathaniel Massey |  | Liberal | Salford | None
1865  | 1872  | John George Dodson |  | Liberal | East Sussex | Baron Monk Bretton (1884)
1872  | 1874  | John Bonham Carter |  | Liberal | Winchester | None
1874  | 1880  | Henry Cecil Raikes |  | Conservative | Chester | None
1880  | 1883  | Lyon Playfair |  | Liberal | Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities | Baron Playfair (1892)
1883  | 1885  | Sir Arthur Otway, Bt |  | Liberal | Rochester | None
1886  | 1893  | Leonard Courtney |  | Liberal | Bodmin | Baron Courtney of Penwith (1906)
1893  | 1895  | John William Mellor |  | Liberal | Sowerby | None
1895  | 1905  | James Lowther |  | Conservative | Penrith | Viscount Ullswater (1921)
1905  | 1906  | Sir John Lawson, Bt |  | Conservative | Thirsk and Malton | Baronetcy (1905)
1906  | 1911  | Alfred Emmott |  | Liberal | Oldham | Baron Emmott (1911)
1911  | 1921  | John Henry Whitley |  | Liberal | Halifax | None
1921  | 1924  | James Hope |  | Conservative | Sheffield Central | Baron Rankeillour (1932)
Feb 1924  | Oct 1924  | Robert Young |  | Labour | Newton | Knighthood (1931)
1924  | 1929  | James Hope |  | Conservative | Sheffield Central | Baron Rankeillour (1932)
1929  | 1931  | Robert Young |  | Labour | Newton | Knighthood (1931)
1931  | 1943  | Dennis Herbert |  | Conservative | Watford | Baron Hemingford (1943)
Jan 1943  | Mar 1943  | Douglas Clifton Brown |  | Conservative | Hexham | Viscount Ruffside (1951)
1943  | 1951  | James Milner |  | Labour | Leeds South East | Baron Milner of Leeds (1951)
1951  | 1959  | Sir Charles MacAndrew |  | Unionist | Bute and Northern Ayrshire | Baron MacAndrew (1959)
1959  | 1962  | Gordon Touche |  | Conservative | Dorking | Baronetcy (1962)
1962  | 1964  | Sir William Anstruther-Gray |  | Unionist | Berwick and East Lothian | Baron Kilmany (1966) for Life
1964  | 1965  | Horace King |  | Labour | Southampton Itchen | Baron Maybray-King (1971) for Life
1965  | 1966  | Sir Samuel Storey, Bt |  | Conservative | Stretford | Baron Buckton (1966) for Life
1966  | 1968  | Sir Eric Fletcher |  | Labour | Islington East | Baron Fletcher (1970) for Life
1968  | 1970  | Sydney Irving |  | Labour | Dartford | Baron Irving of Dartford (1979) for Life
1970  | 1974  | Sir Robert Grant-Ferris |  | Conservative | Nantwich | Baron Harvington (1974) for Life
1974  | 1976  | George Thomas |  | Labour | Cardiff West | Viscount Tonypandy (1983)
1976  | 1979  | Oscar Murton |  | Conservative | Poole | Baron Murton of Lindisfarne (1979) for Life
1979  | 1983  | Bernard Weatherill |  | Conservative | Croydon North East | Baron Weatherill (1992) for Life
1983  | 1992  | Harold Walker |  | Labour | Doncaster Central | Baron Walker of Doncaster (1997) for Life
1992  | 1997  | Michael Morris |  | Conservative | Northampton South | Baron Naseby (1997) for Life
1997  | 2010  | Sir Alan Haselhurst |  | Conservative | Saffron Walden | Baron Haselhurst (2018) for Life
2010  | 2019  | Sir Lindsay Hoyle |  | Labour | Chorley | Elected as Speaker
2020  | 2024  | Dame Eleanor Laing |  | Conservative | Epping Forest | Baroness Laing of Elderslie (2024) for Life
2024  | Incumbent  | Nus Ghani |  | Conservative | Sussex Weald | Incumbent

## List of Deputy Chairmen of Ways and Means (1902–1971)

[edit]

From  | Until  | Name  | Party  | Constituency  | Retirement honour

|
|
|
|
|

1902  | 1905  | Arthur Frederick Jeffreys |  | Conservative | Basingstoke | None
1905  | 1906  | Laurence Hardy |  | Conservative | Ashford | None
1906  | 1910  | James Caldwell |  | Liberal | Mid Lanarkshire | None
1910  | 1911  | John Henry Whitley |  | Liberal | Halifax | None
1911  | 1918  | Sir Donald Maclean |  | Liberal | Peebles and Selkirk | Knighthood (1917)
1919  | 1923  | Sir Edwin Cornwall, Bt |  | Liberal | Bethnal Green North-East | Baronetcy (1918)
Feb 1924  | Oct 1924  | Cyril Entwistle |  | Liberal | Kingston upon Hull South West | None
Dec 1924  | 1928  | Edward FitzRoy |  | Conservative | Daventry | None
1928  | 1929  | Dennis Herbert |  | Conservative | Watford | Baron Hemingford (1943)
1929  | 1931  | Herbert Dunnico |  | Labour | Consett | Knighthood (1938)
1931  | 1938  | Robert Bourne |  | Conservative | Oxford | None
1938  | 1943  | Douglas Clifton Brown |  | Conservative | Hexham | Viscount Ruffside (1951)
Jan 1943  | Mar 1943  | James Milner |  | Labour | Leeds South East | Baron Milner of Leeds (1951)
1943  | 1945  | Charles Williams |  | Conservative | Torquay | None
1945  | 1948  | Hubert Beaumont |  | Labour | Batley and Morley | None
1948  | 1950  | Frank Bowles |  | Labour | Nuneaton | Baron Bowles (1964) for Life
1950  | 1951  | Sir Charles MacAndrew |  | Unionist | Bute and Northern Ayrshire | Baron MacAndrew (1959)
1951  | 1956  | Rhys Hopkin Morris |  | Liberal | Carmarthen | Knighthood (1956)
1956  | 1959  | Gordon Touche |  | Conservative | Dorking | Baronetcy (1962)
1959  | 1962  | Sir William Anstruther-Gray |  | Unionist | Berwick and East Lothian | Baron Kilmany (1966) for Life
1962  | 1964  | Sir Robert Grimston, Bt |  | Conservative | Westbury | Baron Grimston of Westbury (1964)
1964  | 1965  | Sir Samuel Storey, Bt |  | Conservative | Stretford | Baron Buckton (1966) for Life
1965  | 1966  | Roderic Bowen |  | Liberal | Ceredigion | None
1966  | 1968  | Sydney Irving |  | Labour | Dartford | Baron Irving of Dartford (1979) for Life
1968  | 1970  | Harry Gourlay |  | Labour | Kirkcaldy | None

## List of First Deputy Chairmen of Ways and Means (since 1971)

[edit]

From  | Until  | Name  | Party  | Constituency  | Retirement honour

|
|
|
|
|

1970  | 1973  | Betty Harvie Anderson |  | Conservative | East Renfrewshire | Baroness Skrimshire of Quarter (1979) for Life
1973  | 1974  | Lance Mallalieu |  | Labour | Brigg | Knighthood (1979)[9]
1974  | 1976  | Oscar Murton |  | Conservative | Poole | Baron Murton of Lindisfarne (1979) for Life
1976  | 1979  | Sir Myer Galpern |  | Labour | Glasgow Shettleston | Baron Galpern (1979) for Life
1979  | 1982  | Sir Bryant Godman Irvine |  | Conservative | Rye | Knighthood (1986)[10]
1982  | 1987  | Ernest Armstrong |  | Labour | North West Durham | None
1987  | 1992  | Sir Paul Dean |  | Conservative | Woodspring | Baron Dean of Harptree (1993) for Life
1992  | 1997  | Geoffrey Lofthouse |  | Labour | Pontefract and Castleford | Baron Lofthouse of Pontefract (1997) for Life
1997  | 2000  | Michael Martin |  | Labour | Glasgow Springburn | Baron Martin of Springburn (2009) for Life
2000  | 2010  | Sylvia Heal |  | Labour | Halesowen and Rowley Regis | Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (2022)[11])
2010  | 2013  | Nigel Evans |  | Conservative | Ribble Valley | None
2013  | 2019  | Dame Eleanor Laing |  | Conservative | Epping Forest | Baroness Laing of Elderslie (2024) for Life
2020  | 2024  | Dame Rosie Winterton |  | Labour | Doncaster Central | Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (2024) for Life
2024  | Incumbent  | Judith Cummins |  | Labour | Bradford South | Incumbent

## List of Second Deputy Chairmen of Ways and Means since 1971

[edit]

From  | Until  | Name  | Party  | Constituency  | Retirement honour

|
|
|
|
|

1971  | 1973  | Lance Mallalieu |  | Labour | Brigg | None
1973  | 1974  | Oscar Murton |  | Conservative | Poole | Baron Murton of Lindisfarne (1979) for Life
1974  | 1976  | Sir Myer Galpern |  | Labour | Glasgow Shettleston | Baron Galpern (1979) for Life
1976  | 1979  | Sir Bryant Godman Irvine |  | Conservative | Rye | None
1979  | 1981  | Dick Crawshaw |  | Labour | Liverpool Toxteth | Baron Crawshaw of Aintree (1985) for Life
1981  | 1982  | Ernest Armstrong |  | Labour | North West Durham | None
1982  | 1987  | Sir Paul Dean |  | Conservative | Woodspring | Baron Dean of Harptree (1993) for Life
1987  | 1992  | Betty Boothroyd |  | Labour | West Bromwich West | Baroness Boothroyd (2001) for Life
1992  | 1997  | Dame Janet Fookes |  | Conservative | Plymouth Drake | Baroness Fookes (1997) for Life
1997  | 2010  | Sir Michael Lord |  | Conservative | Central Suffolk and North Ipswich | Baron Framlingham (2011) for Life
2010  | 2015  | Dame Dawn Primarolo |  | Labour | Bristol South | Baroness Primarolo (2015) for Life
2015  | 2017  | Natascha Engel |  | Labour | North East Derbyshire | None
2017  | 2019  | Dame Rosie Winterton |  | Labour | Doncaster Central | Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (2024) for Life
2020  | 2024  | Nigel Evans |  | Conservative | Ribble Valley | None
2024  | Incumbent  | Caroline Nokes |  | Conservative | Romsey and Southampton North | Incumbent

## See also

[edit]

* Committee of Ways and Means
* Speaker of the House of Commons

## External links

[edit]

* Records of the Office of the Chairman of Ways and Means are held at the Parliamentary Archives
* Ways and Means in the parliamentary glossary
* Chairman of Ways and Means in the BBC parliamentary dictionary

## References

[edit]

### Citations

[edit]

1. ^ "Chairman of Ways and Means - Glossary page". UK Parliament. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
2. ^ "The Court of Referees". Erskine May. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
3. ^ [1] Section 2, subsection 5: "The Chairman of Ways and Means himself was formerly appointed by Leader of the House or a Minister of the Crown when the House first resolved itself into a Committee of Supply following the meeting of each new Parliament."
4. ^ "Election of the Deputy Speakers: Principles" (PDF). 2 November 2009. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
5. ^ "Election of the Speaker and of the Deputy Speakers" (PDF). 3 February 2010. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
6. ^ Kelly, Richard (9 January 2020). "The election of Deputy Speakers". Retrieved 13 January 2024.
7. ^ "2010 elections for positions in the House" (PDF). 31 October 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
8. ^ a b Kelly, Richard (9 January 2020). "The election of Deputy Speakers" (PDF). Retrieved 13 January 2024.
9. ^ "No. 47868". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 June 1979. p. 7600.
10. ^ UK list: "No. 50361". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1985. pp. 1–28.
11. ^ "No. 63571". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 2022. p. N8.

* v
* t
* e

Chairmen of Ways and Means

* Grant
* Bernal Osborne
* Greene
* Bernal Osborne
* Wilson-Patten
* Pleydell-Bouverie
* FitzRoy
* Massey
* Dodson
* Bonham Carter
* Raikes
* Playfair
* Otway
* Courtney
* Mellor
* Lowther
* Lawson
* Emmott
* Whitley
* Hope
* Young
* Hope
* Herbert
* Clifton Brown
* Milner
* MacAndrew
* Touche
* Anstruther-Gray
* King
* Storey
* Fletcher
* Irving
* Grant-Ferris
* Thomas
* Murton
* Weatherill
* Walker
* Morris
* Haselhurst
* Hoyle
* Laing
* Ghani

* v
* t
* e

Second Deputy Chairmen of Ways and Means

* Mallalieu
* Murton
* Vacancy during Parliament elected in February 1974
* Galpern
* Irvine
* Crawshaw
* Armstrong
* Dean
* Boothroyd
* Fookes
* Lord
* Primarolo
* Engel
* Winterton
* Evans
* Nokes

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