Chorley MP Sir Lindsay Hoyle re-elected as Commons Speaker
He has returned to the post unopposed
Sir Lindsay Hoyle has been re-elected as Commons Speaker, telling MPs he would continue to be "fair, impartial and independent".
The Chorley MP was returned to the post unopposed at the start of the new Parliament.
He has served as Speaker since November 2019 when he replaced John Bercow shortly before the 2019 general election.
The Speaker election marks the first day of the new Parliament, which welcomes 335 new MPs to the chamber.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle's speech was littered with light-hearted moments and reflections as he referred to the "Rees-Mogg conga", in a nod to the queuing system set up for votes by former Commons leader Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg during the pandemic.
He added: "It was of course an honour to represent this House at the lying in state of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, to present the address to the new King in Westminster Hall, to attend his coronation.
"Needless to say in this role you need staying power. I've already been the speaker during the tenure of three prime ministers, two monarchs and one Jim Shannon."
Sir Lindsay Hoyle said he would continue to be "fair, impartial and independent" as speaker. First for all the latest news from across the UK every hour on Hits Radio on DAB, at hitsradio.co.uk and on the Rayo app.