Sir Lindsay Hoyle has warned MPs to smarten up if they want to speak in the House of Commons.
The Speaker rowed back on moves by his predecessor, John Bercow to ditch archaic rules requiring all male MPs to wear ties, suggesting male MPs will not be called to speak unless they are wearing them.
He said: “I say to the Honourable Gentlemen, wear a tie or you might not catch my eye” in a recent outburst.
It follows similar comments made to The Telegraph, when he said: “Parliamentarians have a duty to set a sartorial example which shows respect for others and self-respect, too. Parliament is a formal place, not a hipster hangout.”
Guidance for MPs has previously said wearing a jacket and tie isn’t compulsory, but it is a longstanding custom to do so. But this has been controversial over the years, with several politicians falling foul of it.
Former Speaker Mr Bercow took a more lax attitude on ties.
He told MPs in 2017: “It seems to me that as long as a member arrives in the House in what might be thought to be business-like attire, the question of whether that member is wearing a tie is not absolutely front and centre stage.”
Guidance issued during his tenure stated: “There is no exact dress code. Convention has been that for men, a jacket and tie is expected; for women the equivalent level of formality should be observed.”
It hasn’t always gone well though – in 2011 former Tory MP Nadhim Zahawi had to apologise after a novelty tie he was wearing started to play a tune.
Former Lib Dem MP Tom Brake famously spoke in the chamber while not wearing a tie – saying it makes Parliament “more representative of the people it serves”.
In 2009 former Labour MP Graham Allen was told off for trying to speak while not wearing a tie. Then-Deputy Speaker Sir Alan Haselhurst told him: “It is not appropriate to address the House without being properly attired.”
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