Eve Samson Becomes First Woman Clerk of House of Commons

Eve Samson has been nominated the 53rd Clerk of the House of Commons by The King and thereby becoming the first woman to occupy that high-ranking constitutional office. Nearly 40 years of service in the House of Commons already, and with her appointment, the UK Parliament breaks new ground in a historic way.

The hiring procedure which was OKed by the House of Commons Commission was based on the recommendation of the 2014 House of Commons Governance Committee report. It consisted of screening and interview committees, as well as an engagement activity among the staff, Trade Unions and Workplace Equality Networks.

Samson joined the House of Commons staff in 1986 and since then she has held a number of procedural and committee positions through her career. She has been a Government Adviser on Parliamentary Procedure and Clerk to several committees, including the Standards and Privileges Committee, the European Scrutiny Committee, and the Joint Committee on Human Rights. From 2020 until now, she has worked as the Clerk of the Journals and she is the main adviser to the Clerk of the House and the Speaker regarding Parliamentary privilege and procedural matters.

Key Highlights:

• Eve Samson is named the 53rd Clerk of the House of Commons and the first female Clerk of the House
• Her tenure at the House of Commons spans almost four decades in different capacities
• This was made possible following her appointment by The King after a thorough recruitment process

Samson pursued an English degree at the University of Cambridge before doing a Graduate Diploma in Law in 2019. She has been a significant player in the parliamentary field by helping to develop procedures and providing advice on legal and constitutional issues.

In her statement on her appointment, Samson said that it was a great privilege for her to head the team providing support to the House of Commons. She recognized the hard work of the staff who make the running of Parliament smooth. She also mentioned her appreciation to her predecessor Tom Goldsmith for his friendship and support and expressed her willingness to learn from him before he leaves in October.

The Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, expressed his satisfaction at Samson's appointment, noting that her long career of almost 40 years and her excellent qualities have made her a most capable successor to Goldsmith.

In March, the Speaker revealed that Tom Goldsmith, the current Clerk of the House of Commons and Head of the House of Commons Service, would finish his Parliament career in the autumn after 30 years of service. Goldsmith is expected to leave the position at the end of October.

The Clerk of the House is the main constitutional adviser to the House of Commons, who helps with parliamentary procedure, business and privilege. The role also involves giving evidence to Select and Joint Committees on constitutional and parliamentary matters. Like all House Service members, the Clerk remains politically neutral and is not a civil servant.