Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom) and 2005. At the 2010 general election, Speaker John Bercow faced ten opponents, including Nigel Farage, former leader of UKIP, who obtained 17.4% of the vote, and John Stevens, from the Buckinghamshire Campaign for Democracy party, who obtained 21.4%. Bercow won with 47% of the vote. The Speaker's primary function is to preside over the House of Commons. Traditionally, the Speaker when presiding wore court dress—a black coat with white shirt and bands, beneath a black gown, with stockings and buckled shoes, and a full-bottomed wig. But in 1992 Betty Boothroyd, the first female Speaker, eschewed the wig. Her successor,
Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives two-way run-off) until one candidate has a majority. Members may vote only if they are present in person: no proxy votes are permitted. It is traditional for the Speaker to 'pretend' he or she did not want to accept the position. Upon election the Speaker is customarily 'dragged' to the front of the House. A symbolic piece of rope was kept beside the Chair as a reminder that an English House of Commons Speaker was physically held in the Chair by members so that the House could continue debating a matter which members wished to consider. After being elected by