This House of Lords Library briefing provides a list of the mover and seconder following each Queen’s Speech for the past 20 years, along with each Member’s party affiliation at the time.
Queen's Speech: Lords Movers and Seconders (156KB PDF)
On the first meeting of Parliament after State Opening, two Members of the House of Lords move that a humble address be presented to the Queen as an expression of thanks for the “Most Gracious Speech” that had been addressed to both Houses of Parliament. The two Members are chosen by the Leader of the House and each delivers a speech which by custom is uncontroversial. Convention has it that the first speech is delivered by a long-standing Member (known as the “mover”) and it is seconded by a newer Member (known as the “seconder”). Both Members are Government backbenchers. When these speeches have concluded, the House debates the legislative programme that was presented in the Queen’s Speech. The debates on the Queen’s Speech are the first main item of business of each new parliamentary session.
Queen's Speech: Lords Movers and Seconders (156KB PDF)
The House of Lords (Alternative Second Chamber Bill) [HL] is a private member’s bill introduced by Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (Plaid Cymru). It would require the secretary of state to carry out a consultation regarding proposals for replacing the House of Lords with an alternative second chamber. The bill specifies whom the secretary of state would be required to consult with and the timeframe of that consultation.
![House of Lords (Alternative Second Chamber) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 11 of 2026–27](https://lordslibrary-parliament.studio24.dev/content/uploads/sites/2/2020/09/House-of-Lords-568x426.png)
The bill is a government bill that would make a range of changes to the legal framework concerning elections, including extending the franchise for UK parliamentary elections and other reserved elections to 16- and 17-year-olds. The bill was amended during both its committee and report stages in the House of Commons, with many of the government’s later amendments implementing recommendations from the Rycroft review on countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics.
Social media and other technologies have made it easier, quicker and cheaper for foreign powers to spread false information online aimed at undermining UK democracy. Such disinformation campaigns are one type of interference operation. In parallel, researchers have noted a link between declining public trust and societal polarisation, which can be exacerbated by online discourse. This briefing provides introductory reading to these issues, including recent reports and government announcements.
