NEW COMMONS
THE garish striped socks peeking from the small gap between Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s shiny shoes and suit trousers are a flash of colour, and a reminder of tragic sadness.
The new Speaker of the House of Commons’ daughter, Natalie, regularly gave him vividly coloured pairs as birthday and Christmas gifts.
But she took her own life aged just 28, during what was described at the inquest as a “toxic relationship”.
“Natalie used to buy me bright socks,” Sir Lindsay says, looking down at his ankles. “The rest of the family started now she’s gone.
“She also gave us a sparkly pink collar for Betty, our Patterdale terrier. I wasn’t going to take her out in that – and then [Natalie] died and we wouldn’t take her for a walk in anything else.”
That this Speaker’s gaudy socks have become as much of a trademark as predecessor John Bercow’s lurid ties, is a touching tribute to the child cruelly snatched from him in 2017.
Elected by MPs on Monday as First Commoner of the Land – Westminster’s 158th Speaker – his vulnerability shows even the most successful politicians are real people who feel pain.
“It’s hard, even hard now,” the 62-yearold MP for Chorley, Lancs, admits, swallowing to suppress his emotions.
“Natalie was a light so bright – I could never have expected what happened.
“I’ll never get over it. I need to deal with it but it’s unbearable never to get a call saying, ‘Pops, what you doing?’
“It’s not right. We lost a daughter, my other daughter a sister and my grandchildren lost an auntie.”
IIn the Speaker’s Chair on Monday
Natalie took her own life in 2017
VIVID MEMORY Socks remind him of Natalie mentary pantomime. He will have to get used to being a TV star, shouting “Order” during Prime Minister’s Questions.
Yet despite being a straight talker in his 10 years as Bercow’s senior deputy, Sir Lindsay admits he finds it difficult to speak openly about how his feelings.
“It’s hard, especially for Lancastrian lads who don’t like to talk publicly.”
Sir Lindsay describes Westminster as a village even though its 17,000 pass holders make it a sizeable town.
And he will introduce a part-time GP’s surgery so everybody from security staff to lords can receive medical care on site.
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