Peers should face a more thorough interview process, akin to a job interview, before being given a seat in the upper chamber, the outgoing Lord Speaker has suggested. Lord McFall of Alcluith, who will hand over to Tory grandee Lord Forsyth of Drumlean on February 2, has said every potential peer should answer questions about their skills and commitment to the House. Lord McFall is stepping down from the top job in the Lords a few months early to care for his wife, who has Parkinson’s, and will join the crossbenches as a working peer. The Lord Speaker oversees proceedings in the chamber, plays a key role in the running of the House and acts as an ambassador for the Lords at home and abroad. Lord McFall took up the post in 2021 after becoming a peer in 2010.