UK parliament speaker will step down next summer, reports local media

The speaker of the British parliament’s lower house, John Bercow, will step down from his position next summer, local media reported on Tuesday.

An investigation published on Monday said the House of Commons had allowed a culture of bullying and sexual harassment to thrive, and its top officials may need to be replaced to restore confidence.

Bercow had told friends of his plan to quit next year, reported local media, including the BBC.

The speaker of Britain’s lower house of parliament has made no announcement about when he will leave his job, his spokeswoman said on Tuesday, responding to media reports he planned to step down next year.

“The Speaker has made no announcement about his leaving date. He was elected by the House in 2017 for the course of the Parliament. In the event he has anything to say on his future plans, he will make an announcement to the House first,” she said in an emailed statement.

A debate in parliament on the harassment investigation saw some lawmakers call directly for Bercow to quit on Tuesday. He has himself faced allegations of bullying from former members of staff, which he has denied.

The speaker’s job is to chair debates in parliament’s directly-elected chamber. Bercow is the highest authority within the House of Commons, which gives him considerable influence over the political agenda in parliament.

For example, he is expected to be faced with a crucial decision in the upcoming vote on any Brexit deal Prime Minister May is able to strike with Brussels.

He will likely have to decide whether to permit opponents of May’s Brexit plan to try and change the terms of the debate into one on a second referendum - a key decision which could allow lawmakers to put pressure on May to avoid a ‘no-deal’ exit.