John Bercow announces resignation as Speaker of Britain’s House of Commons ahead of vote for early general elections

UK House of Commons Speaker and Member of Parliament John Bercow announced on Monday that he will stand down at the next election or on 31 October, whichever comes first. The man who is known around the world for his use of “Orderrrrr!” has helmed the House for ten years and was, before assuming that position, a member of the Conservative Party.

Bercow, who has often been at the centre of Brexit debates in Parliament, announced, “At the 2017 election, I promised my wife and children that it would be my last. This is a pledge that I intend to keep.”

The statement is effectively a declaration of retirement, and tributes for the politician poured in from all sides of the gallery.