Who will be the next Speaker of the House of Commons and how is the role elected?
John Bercow has held the post since 2009, making him the longest-running Speaker since World War Two
WESTMINSTER is awash with rumours that the Common's Speaker could be stepping down from his role.
Here's what we know about the calls for John Bercow to resign - and who would succeed him if he went.
Who will be the next Speaker of the House of Commons?
John Bercow has held the post since 2009, making him the longest-running Speaker since World War Two.
He has reportedly told friends he aims to step down in June or July 2019 - but there are calls for him to leave sooner.
A damning report published in October 2018 highlighted how high profile figures in Westminster were failing to do enough to stop the bullying of staff.
It found "a culture, cascading from the top down, of deference, subservience, acquiescence and silence, in which bullying, harassment and sexual harassment have been able to thrive and have long been tolerated and concealed".
Dame Laura Cox's investigation states Bercow should be investigated after he was accused of mistreating two of private secretaries earlier this year.
And it also suggests a shift in administration, including the Speaker, so that the "necessary changes can be successfully delivered."
MPs Jacob Rees-Mogg, Chris Bryant and Douglas Carswell have all been mooted as Bercow's future replacements.
Current deputy speakers Eleanor Laing, Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Dame Rose Winterton are also possible contenders to step up to the role.
And Labour's Harriet Harman previously said she would throw her hat in the ring to stand in for him if he is forced to resign.
Bookmakers Fitzdares have also tipped Chris Bryant and Charles Walker in with a chance of election.
What does the Speaker do?
The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the House of Commons and is required to be strictly non-partisan.
Bercow, for example, had been a Conservative MP for Buckingham since 1997 when he was voted in as Speaker.
Over a term they will preside over thousands of debates in the House and determine which members speak.
They are also responsible for maintaining order during debates and may punish members who break the rules.
How is the role elected?
MPs choose the Speaker from among their ranks - a fellow MP in the House of Commons.
The Speaker is elected after every general election or after the death or resignation of the incumbent, as was the case when the late Michael Martin handed in his notice in 2009.
Speakers tend to hold the role over two terms, and the last three have all served in region of eight or nine years.
The House adopted the current system for electing a Speaker on 22 March, 2001.
Candidates now have to be nominated by at least 12 members, of whom at least three must be of a different party from the candidate.
The House then votes by a secret ballot, with an absolute majority (more than 50 per cent) required for victory.
MOST READ NEWS
If no candidate wins a majority, then the individual with the fewest votes is eliminated, as are any other candidates who receive less than five percent of the votes cast.
The House continues to vote, for several rounds if necessary, until one member receives the requisite majority.
Finally, the House holds a vote on a formal motion to appoint the member in question to the Speakership - if this fails, the House must hold a fresh series of ballots on all of the nominees.
Upon the passage of the motion, the Speaker-elect is expected to show reluctance at being chose and is meant to be "dragged unwillingly" by MPs to the Speaker's bench.
This custom has its roots in the Speaker's original function of communicating the Commons' opinions to the monarch.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.