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,
1895 Speaker of the British House of Commons election motion to elect Sir Matthew White Ridley, who was then seconded by John Lloyd Wharton. Both Gully and Ridley then gave their speeches of submission to the will of the House. MPs voted on the motion that Gully take the Chair as Speaker, which was approved by 285 votes to 274. Gully was then conducted to the Chair by Whitbread. 1895 Speaker of the British House of Commons election The 1895 election of the Speaker of the House of Commons occurred on 10 April 1895, following the retirement of the previous Speaker Arthur Wellesley Peel. The election resulted in the