he Speaker of the House of Commons has acknowledged that the political turmoil of the past year has made Britain an international laughing stock.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle also suggested that British democracy was still trying to recover from the divisions of Brexitas he reflected on a year in which Boris Johnson’s government collapsed and Liz Truus forced from office after only a few weeks in number 10.
Speak against BBC radio 4’s PM program, he was on that too parliament is a safe place for young women and men, despite allegations of sexual assault, harassment and inappropriate behavior against several MPs.
Asked if he agreed that the turbulent political year had turned the UK into a laughingstock, he said: “It did and I think it’s the disappointment with what happened, the way it went, you know, and people who wondered what happened to our democracy?”
Sir Lindsay, who has presided over much of the drama that has dominated the Commons over the past 12 months, seemed to suggest that the UK was still recovering from the divisions of Brexit.
When asked if the past year has hurt democracy, he said: “Well, I think we are still struggling to recover, as I said, from Brexit. I think that’s been part of our problem, if you look back, and it’s always hard, isn’t it? You know, it divided families, and there was real division there. And we tried to cure that.”
The speaker told the program that Parliament was safe for young people. He also said he would ensure that House rules are followed.
He added: “It’s about the rules of the House – I take them very seriously.
“I would always say something serious please go to the police – don’t even think about anything else would always be my advice. And I always say to pass holders of the House: my door is open. If you have problems, if you have problems, come to me. Let’s see if we can help you.”