LAST ORDERS

British Parliament Speaker John Bercow Announces Resignation

Bercow’s Shakespearean vocabulary and theatrical screams of “Order!” have won him fans well beyond Britain.

The speaker of the British House of Commons, John Bercow, has announced his resignation from the role. Bercow has won fans around the world for the theatrical flair he brought to his attempts to keep rowdy British lawmakers in line. In an emotional announcement from his chair, Bercow said his 10-year tenure was approaching its end; he will stand down either at the next general election or on Oct. 31, the day Britain is due to leave the European Union. Bercow said it had been the “greatest honor and privilege” to serve in the role. He’s attracted fierce opposition from pro-Brexit lawmakers who have questioned his impartiality as the crisis developed, and was expected to face a challenge from the Conservative party in his Buckingham constituency at the next election—a break from tradition which usually dictates that the speaker can stand unopposed. He received a standing ovation from the opposition Labour benches after his announcement, but the BBC reports most lawmakers from the Conservative party—which Bercow represented before being chosen as speaker—stayed in their seats.