Election of the next Speaker of the House of Commons
13 September 2019 (updated on 13 September 2019)
The election of the next Speaker of the House of Commons will take place on Monday 4 November.
Mr Bercow will take the Chair for the last time on Thursday 31 October and will formally resign as a Member of the House on Monday 4 November.
This follows the practice of his two immediate predecessors, and ensures that the House is without a Speaker for the minimum possible time.
The proceedings to elect a new Speaker will therefore be presided over by the Father of the House, Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke MP.
Process to elect a new speaker
Nominations of candidates must be submitted between 9.30am and 10.30am on Monday 4 November, with the House meeting at 2.30pm that same day. The House will proceed immediately to the election, with Mr Clarke in the Chair.
The candidates will address the House in an order selected by ballot, and then MPs will proceed to vote. The vote takes place by secret ballot, and successive ballots will be held until either a candidate wins more than 50 per cent of the vote, or only one candidate remains.
The successful candidate – who will then be Speaker-elect – will attend the Lords Commissioners in the House of Lords to receive Royal Approbation.
Further information
Commons Speaker
The Speaker of the House of Commons chairs debates in the Commons Chamber. The holder of this office is an MP who has been elected to be Speaker by other Members of Parliament. In the Chamber, the Speaker has a number of roles including controlling debate, deciding who speaks, selecting amendments, allowing urgent questions or emergency debates, upholding parliamentary rules and exercising the casting vote.
On a formal level the Speaker also represents the Commons to the Monarch, the Lords and other authorities, and chairs the House of Commons Commission as well as holding a number of other statutory functions.
The Speaker is the chief officer and highest authority of the House of Commons and must remain politically impartial at all times.
The Speaker also represents the Commons to the monarch, the Lords and other authorities and chairs the House of Commons Commission.
Image: ©UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor