Bercow secures Speaker position on 322 votes

TORY John Bercow won the race to become Speaker of the House of Commons last night.

The Buckingham MP led the voting throughout, and beat off the challenge of rival George Young in a dramatic head-to-head.

Bercow secured 322 backers in the third round, compared with 271 for the North West Hampshire MP.

After the result was announced to a packed chamber, the new Speaker was “dragged” to the chair in a traditional ritual.

He said: “I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the confidence that you have placed in me.”

Bercow, who must be confirmed by the Queen before formally taking office as the 157th Speaker, had come under fire for his youth and lack of support among Conservative colleagues.

There was speculation that many Labour MPs were backing him in order to irritate the opposition, following persistent claims that Bercow would be happier on the Government benches.

Some Tory backbenchers have even suggested they could try to kick him out as Speaker after the next general election.

In his victory speech, Bercow congratulated his opponents, insisting he held them in the “highest regard”.

“Each brought something to the occasion,” he added.

“My commitment to the House is to be completely impartial as between members of one political party to another.”

Bercow said parliament had undergone a “gruelling” period during the expenses row, but he stressed that the “vast majority” of members were “upright, decent, honourable people”.

Welcoming Bercow’s election, Gordon Brown told the Commons he would bring “strength of character and purpose”.

“Today we have an opportunity to start a new chapter with a new Speaker,” the Prime Minister added.

David Cameron said: “We share a collective responsibility for what went wrong, we share a collective responsibility for putting it right.”

Bercow will get a pay hike to £141,866 (€167,260) a year. On standing down he will also get the gold-plated pension given to all former Speakers – equivalent to £40,000 a year index-linked, in addition to his generous MP pension.