John Bercow has promised to resign as Speaker of the House of Commons by the end of October. Below is his full resignation speech:
Colleagues, I would like to make a personal statement to the House. At the 2017 election, I promised my wife and children that it would be my last. This is a pledge that I intend to keep.
If the House votes tonight for an early general election, my tenure as Speaker and MP will end when this Parliament ends. If the House does not so vote, I have concluded that the least disruptive and most democratic course of action would be for me to stand down at the close of business on Thursday, October 31.
Least disruptive because that date will fall shortly after the votes on the Queen’s Speech expected on 21st and 22nd October. The week or so after that may be quite lively and it would be best to have an experienced figure in the chair for that short period.
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