John Bercow announces decision to stand down as Speaker of the House Commons and as MP for Buckingham
The House of Commons speaker, John Bercow, has announced that he will stand down on October 31, 2019.
Mr. Bercow said he promised his wife and children that the 2017 general election would be his last.
The Speaker said that should the government's attempt to call a general election fail on Monday evening he would stand-down on October 31, 2019.
Mr. Bercow, is the Conservative M.P. for Buckingham.
The opposition parties including Labour, the S.N.P. and the Liberal Democrats gave Mr. Bercow a standing ovation while the vast majority of the Speaker's fellow Conservative M.P.s remain seated.