Assent), the Lord Speaker is one of them. The other Lords Commissioners, by convention, are the Leader of the House (who has acted as the principal Commissioner since the Lord Chancellor's functions were transferred to the Lord Speaker), the leaders of the other two major parties in the Lords, and the Convenor of the Crossbenches. New peers, upon being introduced in the House of Lords, shake hands with the Lord Speaker after taking the oath (or making affirmation). List of Lord Speakers See also List of Lord Chancellors and Lord Keepers Notes References External links Lord Speaker's official webpage Chairs of upper houses Constitution of the United Kingdom House of Lords