Editing Crossbencher (section)

==United Kingdom==
{{Infobox political party
| name = Crossbench
| seats1_title = [[House of Lords]]
| seats1 = {{Composition bar|{{HOL|CB}}|{{HOL|TOTAL}}|{{party color|Crossbencher}}}}
}}
Crossbench members of the British [[House of Lords]] are not aligned to any particular party.<ref name="bbc">{{cite news |title=Cross benches |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/82022.stm |access-date=22 April 2020 |work=BBC News {{!}} UK {{!}} UK Politics {{!}} |date=14 August 2008}}</ref> Until 2009, these included the [[Law Lords]] appointed under the [[Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876]]. In addition, former [[Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)|Speakers]] of the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] (such as [[Michael Martin, Baron Martin of Springburn|Lord Martin of Springburn]] and [[Betty Boothroyd|Baroness Boothroyd]]) and former [[Lord Speaker]]s of the House of Lords (such as [[Baroness Hayman]] and [[Baroness D'Souza]]), who by convention are not aligned with any party, also sit as crossbenchers. There are also some [[non-affiliated members of the House of Lords]] who are not part of the crossbencher group; this includes some officers, such as the Lord Speaker, and others who are associated with a party but have had the [[whip (politics)|whip]] withdrawn. Although non-affiliated members, and members of small parties, sometimes physically sit on the crossbenches, they are not members of the crossbench [[parliamentary group]].

An "increasing number" of crossbenchers have been created peers for non-political reasons.<ref name=History>{{cite web|url=http://www.crossbenchpeers.org.uk/history.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101018142656/http://www.crossbenchpeers.org.uk/history.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2010-10-18|title=A Brief History of the Crossbench Peers|publisher=Crossbenchpeers.org.uk}}</ref><!--{{cn|reason=for the non-political crossbenchers being a majority; 59 is less than half of 177, and e.g. speaker, several convenors were party politicians previously, and probably created because of their political position|date=October 2011}}--> Since its establishment in May 2000, the [[House of Lords Appointments Commission]] has nominated a total of 67 non-party-political life peers who joined the House of Lords as crossbenchers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lordsappointments.independent.gov.uk/appointments-so-far.aspx|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418085208/http://lordsappointments.independent.gov.uk/appointments-so-far.aspx|url-status=dead|title=House of Lords Appointments Commission|archivedate=18 April 2015}}</ref> {{As of|{{#time:Y|{{HOL|date}}}}|{{#time:m|{{HOL|date}}}}|{{#time:d|{{HOL|date}}}}}}, there are {{HOL|CB}} crossbenchers, making up approximately {{pct|{{HOL|CB}}|{{HOL|TOTAL}}|%={{sp}}percent}} of the sitting members in the House of Lords. The Crossbench is typically the third-largest peerage group after the Conservative and Labour benches.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/lords/composition-of-the-lords/|title=Lords by party, type of peerage and gender|website=UK Parliament|access-date=13 October 2017}}</ref> From April 2007 to 2009, the number of crossbenchers was higher than the number of Conservative peers for the first time.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/politics/article2022980.ece|title=Days of Conservative domination in the Lords come to an end|work=The Times|date=16 April 2007|url-access=registration}}</ref>

Although the [[Lords Spiritual]] (archbishops and senior bishops of the [[Church of England]]) also have no party affiliation, they are not considered crossbenchers and do not sit on the crossbenches, their seats being on the Government side of the Lords Chamber.<ref name=History/>

Parties supporting a minority government in a [[confidence and supply]] agreement in the House of Commons, such as the [[Democratic Unionist Party]] in the 2017–2019 Parliament, are not considered crossbenchers. Instead, along with all other non-governing parties, they are considered part of the opposition and sit on the opposition benches.

===Convenor===
The crossbenchers do not take a collective position on issues, and so have no [[whip (politics)|whip]]s; however, they do elect from among themselves a convenor for administrative purposes, and to keep them up to date with the business of the House.<ref name="bbc"/> The current convenor is [[Charles Hay, 16th Earl of Kinnoull|The Earl of Kinnoull]], who took the office in April 2023.<ref name="Earl of Kinnoull">{{cite web|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/4354/career|title=Earl of Kinnoull|publisher=[[Parliament of the United Kingdom|UK Parliament]]|access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref> While convenors are not part of the "[[usual channels]]" (i.e. the party whips who decide the business of the House), they have been included in their discussions in recent years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lordsoftheblog.net/2010/01/31/constitutional-renewal-starts-at-home/#comment-10192|title=Constitutional renewal starts at home – Lords of the Blog|date=31 January 2010 |publisher=Lordsoftheblog.net|access-date=13 October 2017}}</ref>

The following have served as Convenor of the Crossbenchers:<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.crossbenchpeers.org.uk/convenors.html |title=Convenors of the Crossbench Peers |access-date=23 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150516013234/http://www.crossbenchpeers.org.uk/convenors.html |archive-date=16 May 2015 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
* 1968–1974: [[William Strang, 1st Baron Strang|The Lord Strang]]
* 1974–1995: [[Audrey Hylton-Foster, Baroness Hylton-Foster|The Baroness Hylton-Foster]]
* 1995–1999: [[Bernard Weatherill|The Lord Weatherill]] (Alternate Convenor 1993–1995)
* 1999–2004: [[David Craig, Baron Craig of Radley|The Lord Craig of Radley]]
* 2004–2007: [[David Williamson, Baron Williamson of Horton|The Lord Williamson of Horton]]
* 2007–2011: [[Frances D'Souza, Baroness D'Souza|The Baroness D'Souza]]<ref name="bbc"/>
* 2011–2015: [[Herbert Laming, Baron Laming|The Lord Laming]]
* 2015–2019: [[David Hope, Baron Hope of Craighead|The Lord Hope of Craighead]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/lord-hope-of-craighead/2004|title=Lord Hope of Craighead|publisher=[[Parliament of the United Kingdom|UK Parliament]]|access-date=9 October 2019}}</ref>
* 2019–2023: [[Igor Judge, Baron Judge|The Lord Judge]]<ref name="Lord Judge">{{cite web|url=https://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/lord-judge/3867|title=Lord Judge|publisher=[[Parliament of the United Kingdom|UK Parliament]]|access-date=9 October 2019}}</ref>
* 2023–present: [[Charles Hay, 16th Earl of Kinnoull|The Earl of Kinnoull]]<ref name="Earl of Kinnoull"/>