Speaker of the House of Commons becomes University chancellor

The University of Essex announced the appointment of Speaker of the House of Commons, The Rt Hon John Bercow MP, as their new Chancellor.

Grandson of Romanian immigrants, the son of a mini cab driver, the first in his family to go to University and a Member of Parliament – John Bercow as Speaker has been a champion of equality and diversity in the House of Commons, for Parliamentary democracy and making the work of Parliament more accessible.

John graduated from Essex with a First Class Honours degree in Politics and is one of the University of Essex’s most well-known graduates.

His own experience has led him to be a passionate advocate for the transformational power of education, which he says helped him develop the skills and knowledge he needed to pursue his political career.

Appointed by the University’s Senate and Council, John will succeed Shami Chakrabarti who steps down from her role after the July 2017 graduation ceremonies following her appointment to the Shadow Cabinet.

Although elected as a Conservative MP, as the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the Speaker is required to be non-partisan and to set aside their party affiliation. John was recently re-elected as Speaker for a third successive term of office.