2009 Speaker of the British House of Commons election 2009 Speaker of the British House of Commons election The 2009 election of the Speaker of the House of Commons occurred on 22 June 2009 following the resignation of Michael Martin as Speaker during the parliamentary expenses scandal. Martin was the first Speaker since Sir John Trevor in 1695 to be forced out of office. It was the first Speaker election since 11 May 2005, and the first contested election of a Speaker since 23 October 2000. Conservative MP John Bercow was elected as the new speaker, after three rounds of voting. Under the new rules for the election of
Resignation from the British House of Commons Resignation from the British House of Commons Members of Parliament (MPs) sitting in the House of Commons in the United Kingdom are technically not permitted to resign their seats. To circumvent this prohibition, MPs who wish to give up their seat can ask to be appointed to an "office of profit under the Crown", disqualifying them from sitting as an MP. While offices of profit are no longer disqualifying in general, various specified offices that no longer have any duties associated with them still cause disqualification from and vacation of the seat. Two offices are specified as disqualifying for this