U.K. House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle visited Washington this week as the United Kingdom welcomed yet another new prime minister, using the occasion to emphasize that the long-standing alliance between Britain and the United States remains steady despite frequent political changes.
Speaking during an interview at the British ambassador’s residence in Washington, Hoyle joked about the rapid turnover of British leaders, noting that the country has now seen five prime ministers in the last four years.
“We’re overachieving on prime ministers,” Hoyle quipped, comparing the succession of leaders to London buses, saying, “They all come at once.”
Despite the political upheaval in London, Hoyle argued that the close partnership between the U.S. and the U.K. has remained a constant.
“Prime ministers may come, prime ministers may go, but the one thing that remains is the special relationship,” he said.
Hoyle’s visit coincides with preparations surrounding the 250th anniversary of American independence and follows King Charles III’s recent state visit to the United States, which Hoyle described as setting an exceptionally high standard.
“With the bar set so high, mine will be so low,” Hoyle said, adding that the king’s trip demonstrated the enduring strength of the relationship between the two nations.
The visit also comes after comments made earlier this year by British Ambassador to the United States Sir Christian Turner, who said the only country that has a “special relationship” with America is “probably Israel.” The U.K. Foreign Office later clarified that Turner’s remarks were private and informal and did not reflect the British government’s official position.
Hoyle’s Washington trip serves as a return visit following House Speaker Mike Johnson’s trip to the House of Commons earlier this year.
“This is a game over two legs,” Hoyle said.
His itinerary included remarks before the British American Business Group, a visit to Arlington National Cemetery, and a stop at George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate.
During the visit, Hoyle also highlighted one of the major differences between the British and American speakerships. Unlike the Speaker of the U.S. House, Hoyle relinquished his Labour Party membership upon assuming the role.
“You’re appointed by all the different political parties, and therefore the rules are you give up your political membership,” Hoyle explained. “If you can’t accept the rules, don’t apply for the job.”
Rather than limiting him, Hoyle said the arrangement allows him greater independence.
“The handcuffs are off,” he said. “I can be more open, more honest on my personal views because I don’t have a political party view.”
At the same time, he acknowledged that neutrality prevents him from aggressively confronting a prime minister who avoids answering questions during parliamentary proceedings.
“The moment I pull the prime minister up, I politicize myself,” Hoyle said, adding, “It’s certainly not for me to make sure — I hate to say it, sometimes they don’t know the answer.”
Hoyle’s visit also comes as renewed attention is being paid to the safety of elected officials following the murder of right-wing British politician Ann Widdecombe.
He noted that Parliament significantly expanded security measures after the 2016 killing of Labour MP Jo Cox and the 2021 murder of Conservative MP Sir David Amess, both of whom were attacked outside Parliament while meeting constituents.
Asked about Reform UK’s proposal to dramatically increase spending on lawmaker security, Hoyle questioned whether such a plan could realistically be carried out.
“There has to be a reality of what you can deliver,” he said, explaining that Britain does not have enough armed police officers to provide around-the-clock protection for every member of Parliament and every peer.
“We haven’t got the capability of enough armed police to deliver at that scale,” he said.
Reflecting on security challenges, Hoyle pointed to both the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot in Washington and the 2018 knife attack near the British Parliament as reminders that democracies continue searching for effective solutions.
“Nobody has the ultimate … magic key that can protect all of us,” Hoyle said. “What we’ve got to do is share the best of knowledge between all of the democratic institutions.”
Hoyle also addressed newly installed British Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s openness to changing the U.K.’s first-past-the-post voting system, saying any decision ultimately belongs to Parliament.
“It is for the House of Commons to decide,” Hoyle said, while noting that his own preference has “always been first past the post.”
Closing on the theme of America’s upcoming 250th anniversary, Hoyle described the United States and the United Kingdom as “a family — not by marriage, but by history,” arguing that while the two nations may disagree at times, they remain united by shared democratic values.
“We’ve seen a world that’s shrinking. Democracy has been shrinking,” Hoyle said. “We’ve got to push back and show the world that democracy is the way forward, not through dictatorships.”
