John Bercow will stand down as Commons Speaker tomorrow despite speculation he might stay on

John Bercow is set to quit as Commons Speaker tomorrow despite speculation that he might stay on for a few days.

He is due to end his ten-year tenure in the chair late afternoon.

There were reports that Mr Bercow, 56, could stay on for a few days amid the general election moves.

However his spokeswoman said: “Mr Speaker’s last day in the chair is October 31 as he informed the House in his statement on September 9.

“He is not standing again as an MP.”

The election of the new Speaker is set to take place on Monday, provided Parliament has not be dissolved before then.

If one candidate wins an overwhelming victory, he or she is unlikely to face a fresh challenge in the new Parliament.

But, if it is close, a new Speaker’s election could be held after the December poll.

Deputy Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, one of the leading contenders, was winning praise today for the way he handled the general election Bill yesterday, following clerks’ advice that to pick amendments on votes for 16 and 17-year-olds and for EU citizens would have been out of the scope of the legislation.

One senior Labour MP said: “Lindsay played a straight bat as he has shown on a number of previous occasions. He would clearly make a good Speaker.”

Some Tory MPs are seeking to stop Labour veteran Harriet Harman, MP for Camberwell and Peckham, from becoming Speaker as they believe she would not be fully impartial.

Mr Bercow’s time as Speaker has been controversial as he has sought to modernise the House, give Parliament a stronger voice, but has been accused by Conservatives of unfair rulings at times.

He has also faced bullying allegations which he denies.