Deputy Speaker succeeds Bercow

Labour MP and deputy Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has been elected by MPs as the new Commons Speaker, after John Bercow stepped down.

He was dragged to the chair by MPs, where he pledged to be a “neutral” and “transparent” Speaker.

Sir Lindsay also paid tribute to his daughter, Natalie, who died in 2017, saying she would “always be missed”.

He received 325 votes to Chris Bryant’s 213 in the fourth and final round of voting.

Paying tribute to the new Speaker, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was sure Sir Lindsay would “stick up” for backbenchers and show his “signature kindness and reasonableness” in the chair.

Mr Johnson continued: “Because, no matter how fiercely we may disagree, we know that every member comes to this place with the best of motives, determined to solve, to serve the oldest Parliamentary democracy in the world.”

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told Sir Lindsay he would need “eyes in the back of your head” in his role as Speaker.

He said Sir Lindsay had taken the welfare of Commons staff and MPs “very, very seriously” and would continue to do so.

Sir Lindsay told MPs that “this House will change, but it will change for the better”.

He also thanked his staff and family and paid tribute to his daughter, saying: “There is one person who is not here; my daughter Natalie. I wish she could have been here. She was everything to all of us.”

He added: “I want to hopefully show that the experience I’ve shown previously will continue. As I’ve promised, I will be neutral, I will be transparent.”

PA.