Speaker John Bercow 'to stand down' next year
John Bercow has told friends he plans to stand down as Speaker next Summer, according to reports.
It comes after a damning inquiry on the failure of high level figures in Parliament to deal with the bullying of staff at Westminster.
The report condemned a culture in which abusive behaviour was 'tolerated, concealed and covered up', and comes amid claims of bullying against Mr Bercow, which he has denied.
The BBC has reported that the Speaker has told friends and close associates he is to stand down in June or July 2019, marking 10 years in office.
Senior MPs have called on Mr Bercow to quit, with Maria Miller telling him that 'change in leadership' was needed at the top, 'including you'.
Approached for a comment on the Speaker's plans, a spokeswoman said: "The Speaker was elected by the House in 2017 for the course of the Parliament. In the event he has anything to say on his future plans, he will make an announcement to the House first."
When he took the job, Mr Bercow said his intention was to quit by June of this year. He has since said he plans to stay on and see Parliament through the process of Brexit.