In times of political turmoil, the Speaker's ‘soft power' is important
The Speaker, however, is not a real-time fact checker of comments made from the Despatch Box. He is not responsible for what a Member, including the Prime Minister, says in the Chamber. He does not have the authority to require Ministers to give answers to questions. His role is impartial and he has no say or influence over government policy.
The Speaker also has administrative responsibilities as Chair of the House of Commons Commission, which employs and cares for over 3,000 staff, runs the administration and services of the House, and oversees the maintenance of the Palace of Westminster and precincts.
Furthermore, the Speaker represents the Commons as an institution in a wide range of public forums, both at home and abroad. He takes the lead in interparliamentary liaison and engages with people about the work and role of the democratically elected House: interactions that Speakers began more than 200 years ago.
Many Speakers have represented the House on the international stage, at a range of interparliamentary events, including the G20 Speakers' Conference, the G7 Speakers' Conference, the Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers Conference, and the Council of Europe Speakers' Conference.
In these times of political turmoil, when democracy is under challenge, the use of the Speaker's 'soft power' is particularly important.
For example, together with Ruslan Stefanchuk, President of the Ukrainian Parliament – the Verkhovna Rada – Sir Lindsay Hoyle has championed the democratic rights of Ukraine, at the G20 and G7 forums. Indeed, as early as 1944, the then Speaker, Clifton Brown, recognised the value of the Speaker's role in diplomacy and lead a parliamentary delegation to visit allied troops in Normandy.
I hope this helps in a small way to explain the extensive role of the Speaker – and his office, which dates back to the 14th century.
Jackie Storer, Press Secretary to the Speaker of the House of Commons, London.
Shelling out at the Armadillo
How on earth did anyone manage to get one of the 6,000 tickets to either of the two David Byrne concerts scheduled at the Armadillo for next March?
Presale for these concerts began last Thursday, with General sale commencing at 10am on Friday. I went on to Ticketmaster at exactly 10am.
Tickets started at just over £40. These were unavailable. By the time I'd read this message the only tickets available, for better seats, already cost £134.50. The time was now 10.01. Shortly afterwards, the cheapest ticket for Saturday was £265. I know of five other people who had the same dismal experience. Am I alone in suggesting that something is going wrong here? Sorry, David. We'd have loved to see you – but not at these exorbitant prices.
Raymond Highet, Glasgow.
Council must reject this plan
This is an open letter to Glasgow City Council to ask it reject a planning submission being recommended for approval, for purpose-built student accommodation with ground-floor food hall, fronting onto Sauchiehall Street.
Recommendations to reject have already been made by Historic Environment Scotland; Glasgow School of Art; The Mackintosh Society: fellow councillors Christy Mearns and Philip Braat; the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland; Glasgow City Heritage Trust and over 130 objectors and fellow Glaswegians.
Seven years ago, on June 15, 2018, Charles Rennie Mackintosh's masterwork, the Glasgow School of Art, was almost destroyed by an inferno that lit up the city. The school of art board have promised a 'faithful reinstatement' of the building and today are working toward that aim. The fire that almost destroyed the school also seriously damaged the adjoining ABC cinema, to the extent that it had to be demolished and devastated a site that is one of the most important in the city, on one of Glasgow's most historic thoroughfares: Sauchiehall Street.
Now a planning application for 350 student beds and a food hall is proposed to front onto Sauchiehall Street and replace the cinema.
The massive structure will obscure Mackintosh's world-renowned south elevation but also detrimentally impact Alexander Thomson's A-listed Grecian building on the corner of Scott Street, as it is an unequivocally over-scaled, nine-storey structure of limited architectural merit. The application as proposed would have a significantly adverse impact within the conservation area and destroy the setting and appreciation of Mackintosh's masterwork, a building of great significance to Glasgow, Scotland and the world.
In support of the application, images now being put forward by the developer show sunlight flooding into a proposed busy 'public space' at the rear of the proposed structure and fronting onto the south elevation of the school of art.
As an architect who has built much in Glasgow, it is my view these images are misleading and only if you remove four or five storeys from the front onto Sauchiehall street then you may get some sunlight into such a space - in high summer.
Like Professor Penny Macbeth, director and principal of the Glasgow School of Art, I agree that the redevelopment of the former ABC Cinema is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to positively transform this significant site and this part of the Sauchiehall Street. But this poorly-considered, cash- and opportunity-grabbing proposal is not that.
City council planners have also agreed that this development would have a 'negative impact on the historic environment' but despite that have forwarded the plans for council approval, which I urge councillors to reject.
Professor Alan Dunlop FRIAS, Aberfoyle.
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