would break the convention by running against Mr Bercow in his Buckingham constituency, accusing him of ignoring "the government's right to govern".

As Mr Bercow announced on 9 September that he would be stepping down as an MP as well as a Speaker, the Conservatives will not now have to run against him.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption John Bercow's most memorable moments as Speaker of the House

And in the 2010 election, Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage ran as a UKIP candidate against Mr Bercow.

Mr Bercow, who became Speaker in 2009, has faced criticism for failing to tackle allegations of bullying in the House of Commons, and from Brexiteers who questioned his impartiality on the EU.

He has also been accused of mistreating his own staff -allegations he denies.

However, he has received praise for strengthening the role of Parliament and making it easier for backbench MPs to hold the government to account.

Mr Bercow's announcement that he would step down triggered the race to become the new Speaker.

So far eight MPs have announced their candidacy for the job: Sir Henry Bellingham, Chris Bryant, Ms Harman, Meg Hillier, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Eleanor Laing, Sir Edward Leigh and Shailesh Vara.

A new Speaker is elected through a secret ballot of all MPs.