On 22 June 2009 John Bercow was elected 157th Speaker of the House of Commons, and was re-elected in the years 2010, 2015 and 2017.
As part of his commitment as Speaker to making Parliament more accessible, John has embarked on an extensive outreach programme, travelling across the country to visit schools, universities and community groups to talk about his role and that of Parliament. He was the first Speaker to allow the UK Youth Parliament debate from the House of Commons Chamber, and he chairs the debate. Since his election as Speaker, John has sought to champion the rights of backbenchers, and has ensured Parliamentary Business is dealt with in a timely manner to ensure as many MPs can contribute as possible. In addition, John has granted an unprecedented number of Urgent Questions in order that Parliament discusses the pressing issues of the day.
John is the recipient of four Honorary Degrees, from the University of Buckingham, De Montfort University, City University London and his alma mater, the University of Essex. In 2016, John was awarded the Freedom of the City of London.
In his spare time, John enjoys watching Arsenal as well as watching – and playing – tennis. In 2013, John’s book, Tennis Maestros: the twenty greatest male tennis players of all time, was published by Biteback Publishing.