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John Bercow re-elected as House of Commons Speaker

May 18, 2015 16:13
Lord Browne of Madingley Rt Hon John Bercow MP
1 min read

John Bercow has been re-elected unopposed as Speaker of the House of Commons as MPs returned to Parliament after the election.

His appointment was the first act of the new Parliament before MPs are sworn in.

At the end of the last Parliament, Mr Bercow, who is the first Jewish MP to hold the role of Speaker, survived an attempt by his fellow Tory MPs to change the rules to make it easier to unseat him.

He had angered angered ministers and government supporters with his insistence on the rights of backbench MPs. He also made enemies through his drive to modernise the Commons.

At the election he held his seat in Buckingham with 34,617 votes.

Mr Bercow is reported to be making plans to divorce his wife Sally after it was revealed in the press that she had been having an affair with his cousin.