Speaker Denison's rule is a constitutional convention established by John Evelyn Denison, who was Speaker of the British House of Commons from 1857 to 1872, regarding how the Speaker decides on their casting vote in the event of a tie in the number of votes cast in a division.
In 1867, when a tie arose on a motion on Fellowships at Trinity College, Dublin, Denison gave his casting vote against the motion, declaring that any decision must be approved by the majority. The rule as subsequently adopted is that the Speaker, in any division upon a bill, should vote to leave a bill in its existing form.
The principle is always to vote in favour of further debate, or, where it has been previously decided to have no further debate or in some specific instances, to vote in favour of the status quo. Thus, the Speaker will vote: against the final reading of a bill (and against holding such readings immediately rather than in the future, to allow for time to consider the matter) in favour of earlier readings of bills (and in favour of holding such readings immediately rather than in the future, to allow for further debate) against amendments to bills against motions of no confidence in favour of disagreeing with amendments made by the House of Lords
The thinking behind the rule is that change should only occur if an actual majority vote is in favour of the change.
Speaker Denison's rule is now a guiding principle in many other bodies that have neutral chairpersons.
Tied votes in the British House of Commons In the case of a Committee of the Whole House, the presiding officer is the Chairman of Ways and Means or a Deputy Chairman. In other cases of plenary session, the presiding officer is the Speaker or a Deputy Speaker. Votes of smaller Commons committees are not listed.
Date Presiding officer Issue Ayes and noes Position of casting vote 10 May 1860Speaker Evelyn DenisonAmendment to the Fisheries (Scotland) Bill37No19 June 1861Speaker Evelyn DenisonMotion to give a third reading to the Church Rates Abolition Bill now rather than in six months274No1 July 1864Speaker Evelyn DenisonThird reading of the Tests Abolition (Oxford) Bill170Aye7 June 1866Speaker Evelyn DenisonMotion to adjourn debate on the motion that 'Mr. Speaker do leave the Chair' (and that the House go into Committee on the Test Abolition Act 1867)46Aye24 July 1867Speaker Evelyn DenisonMotion to declare the undesirability of restricting Fellowships and Foundation Scholarships of Trinity College, Dublin to believers in the established Church of Ireland108No10 June 1868Speaker Evelyn DenisonMotion to give a second reading to the Married Women's Property Bill now rather than in six months123Aye15 June 1870Speaker Evelyn DenisonMotion to put the question on the second reading of the Representation of the People Acts Amendment Bill181Aye25 July 1887Speaker Arthur PeelMotion to adjourn debate on the second reading of the Marriages Confirmation (Antwerp) Bill75Aye3 April 1905Speaker William Court GullyMotion for an instruction to the committee dealing with the London County Council (Tramways) Bill171No22 July 1910Speaker James LowtherReport stage amendment to the Regency Bill to restore words removed in Committee61Aye12 April 1938Speaker Edward FitzroyMotion for leave to bring in the Jewish Citizenship Bill (to extend Palestinian citizenship to Jews outside Mandatory Palestine)144Aye1 May 1950Chairman James MilnerMotion to reduce by £1000 the budget estimate for salaries in the Ministry of Transport278No1 March 1951Deputy Chairman Charles MacAndrewMotion that a clause stand part of the Reserve and Auxiliary Forces (Training) Bill82Aye24 June 1952Deputy Speaker Charles MacAndrewMotion for leave to bring in the Licensing at Airports Bill173Aye12 March 1958Deputy Speaker Gordon ToucheMotion to add a new clause to the Maintenance Orders Bill153No2 June 1965Temporary Chairman Herbert ButcherMotion to retain wording of the Finance (No. 2) Bill281Aye27 May 1976Speaker George ThomasAmendment to a procedural motion relating to the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Bill303No10 November 1976Deputy Speaker Myer GalpernMotion to disagree with a Lords amendment to the Dock Work Regulation Bill309Aye10 November 1976Speaker George ThomasMotion to disagree with a Lords amendment to the Dock Work Regulation Bill310Aye10 November 1976Speaker George ThomasMotion to disagree with a Lords amendment to the Dock Work Regulation Bill310Aye11 November 1976Deputy Speaker Myer GalpernMotion to disagree with a Lords amendment to the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Bill309Aye17 July 1978Deputy Speaker Godman IrvineMotion to disagree with a Lords amendment to the Scotland Bill286Aye30 January 1980Deputy Speaker Bernard WeatherillMotion for leave to bring in the Televising of Parliament Bill201Aye21 June 1990Deputy Speaker Sir Paul DeanReport stage amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill's amendment of the Abortion Act 1967197No22 July 1993Speaker Betty BoothroydTreaty of Maastricht (Social Protocol) – vote was later expunged317No3 April 2019Speaker John BercowBrexit indicative vote amendment310No (See entries timed 17:22-17:52.)9 December 2025Deputy Speaker Caroline NokesMotion for leave to bring in the UK-EU Customs Union (Duty to Negotiate) Bill100Aye
Tied votes elsewhere The Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada in 2005, Peter Milliken, broke a tie on a confidence motion to pass the 2005 Canadian federal budget; this is the first and only time a tie on a confidence motion has occurred in Canada. Milliken cited parliamentary precedent while explaining his decision.
Notes
References
External links List of all votes decided by the Speaker's casting vote since 1801