Gainsborough MP Sir Edward Leigh received less than 5% of the vote in the first ballot to elect the next Speaker of the House of Commons.
He, along with Labour MP Meg Hillier, will not proceed to the next round and MPs will be asked to vote again.
Leigh’s pitch featured promises to be a “traditional speaker who doesn’t speak much”, and to “submerge [his] personality into the office”. He also said he would prioritise serious debate. Listen back:
"This place is not just about words….it's also about a sense of history and a sense of place."
Sir Edward Leigh is giving his pitch on why he should be elected Commons speaker.
Edward Leigh – 12 votes – Former Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Conservative MP for Gainsborough
Rosie Winterton – 46 votes – Deputy Speaker, Former Labour Chief Whip, Labour MP for Doncaster Central
MPs were asked to chose a successor following the resignation of John Bercow, who had been speaker since 2009.
MP Leigh said at the time of his departure: “Although on many occasions he has infuriated me, I am grateful that Mr Speaker has always been determined to give a voice to those who want to ask real questions of the executive.”
When Edward Leigh announced his intensions to stand on Twitter it attracted over 100 retweets and comments and more than 480 likes.
Voting began at 2.30pm on Monday, November 4 and successive ballots will continue until either a candidate wins more than 50% of the vote or only one candidate remains.
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