New Speaker: Big Ben could bong for Brexit

NEW Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has paved the way for Big Ben to ring out to mark Brexit.

He said the great bell in Parliament’s Elizabeth Tower could be rung on January 31 if MPs agree, saying the UK’s departure from the EU will be ‘a significant moment’.

Sir Lindsay’s intervention draws a sharp contrast with predecessor John Bercow who, since he stood down, has described Brexit as Britain’s

‘biggest foreign policy mistake’ since the Second World War.

As Speaker, Mr Bercow was also chairman of the House of Commons ruling commission which in May 2018 ruled against repairs to Big Ben being interrupted so it could ring to mark the original March 29

Brexit Day in 2019. But in an interview today, Sir Lindsay – who was formally elected as Speaker for the newly constituted Commons last week – said: ‘If the House wants to do it, the House will do it.

‘I’m not sure whether it will be at that stage in the building work that it can ring… but if that’s what the House wants I’m not going to stand in the way because of my view. My view doesn’t matter.’ He told The Sunday Telegraph: ‘It will be a significant moment and people will do different things, and if the House wishes to do that, so be it. I certainly won’t personally block anything.’

Lancastrian Sir Lindsay was the only one of the original eight candidates to replace Mr Bercow who declined to say how he had voted in the 2016 referendum. His Chorley constituency voted by almost 57 per cent to 43 per cent in favour of Leave.

A £60million restoration of the tower that houses the 160-year-old bell has meant its chimes have been silent for the past two years apart from special occasions such as Remembrance Sunday. It is also set to bring in the New Year. More than 50 MPs have signed a motion calling for Big Ben to ring at 11pm on January 31 – midnight in Brussels.