They return to the House of Commons to make their selection, with the longest continuously serving MP – the so-called Mother or Father of the House, now Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh – temporarily seated in the Speaker’s chair.
If the former Speaker has been re-elected in the general election and wishes to continue in their post, a secret ballot is not necessary.
They can be reappointed if a majority of MPs vote in their favour, at which point they become the Speaker-elect.
As part of the process, the successful candidate pretends to be reluctant to take up the role and is physically dragged to the Speaker’s chair by other MPs.
The tradition harks back to a time in which the role was far more dangerous, when a Speaker relaying news from the Commons to the monarch risked an untimely death if the message was unfavourable.
Later that day or the following day, MPs are again summoned to the House of Lords where the Speaker-elect formally becomes Speaker.
If the former Speaker is not re-elected by a majority of MPs, a new secret ballot must be held.
