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John Bercow

Personal data
Date of birth19 January 1963(age 53)
Place of birthEdgware, Middlesex, England
NationalityBritish
Political partyNone
Other partyConservative (1986 � 2009)
SpouseSally Bercow (née Illman)
ChildrenOliver
Freddie
Jemima
Alma materUniversity of Essex
ReligionJudaism
Speaker of the House of Commons
Assumed office22 June 2009
MonarchElizabeth II
Preceded byMichael Martin
Shadow Secretary of State for International Development
In office6 November 2003 - 23 September 2004
LeaderMichael Howard
Succeeded byAlan Duncan
Preceded byCaroline Spelman
Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
In office18 September 2001 - 23 July 2002
LeaderIain Duncan Smith
Succeeded byHoward Flight
Preceded byOliver Letwin
Member of Parliament
for Buckingham
Assumed office1 May 1997
Majority12,529 (25.9%)
Preceded byGeorge Walden

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John Simon Bercow (c-eniconˈbɜːkəʊ ; born 19 January 1963) is a British politician who has been the Speaker of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom since June 2009. Prior to his election to Speaker he was a member of the Conservative party.

Bercow was born in Middlesex into a Jewish family and graduated from the University of Essex in 1985. In his youth, Bercow was active in the Conservative Party and was a member of several right-wing groups within the party. He served as a councillor from 1986 � 1990 and unsuccessfully contested seats in the 1987 and 1992 General Elections. In the 1997 General Election, Bercow was elected the MP for Buckingham and promoted to the shadow cabinet in 2001, held posts in the shadow cabinets of Iain Duncan Smith and Michael Howard. In November 2002, he resigned from the shadow cabinet over disputes with the Adoption and Children Act but returned under Michael Howard in 2003. In September 2004, Bercow was sacked from the shadow cabinet over disagreements with its leader Michael Howard.

Following the resignation of the Speaker Michael Martin, Bercow announced his intention to stand for the Speakership election on 22 June 2009 and was successful. He was re-elected to this post on 18 May 2010 following unsuccessful challenges in the General Election. Bercow is the Treasurer of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tribal Peoples.


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