John Bercow was elected Speaker of the British House of Commons on Monday after securing 322 votes to fellow Conservative Sir George Young's 271 in the third and final round of secret voting. Labour Party candidate Margaret Beckett withdrew after the second round of voting after receiving a mere 70 votes.

The former Foreign Secretary was tipped for the position but it's thought that allegations by the newspaper The Daily Telegraph concerning her expenses did not help her position. The newspaper says she declared the costs of flower pots, plants and gardeners as expenses. Critics also said she was too close to the current Labour government to play the neutral role required.

46-year-old Mr Bercow replaces former speaker Michael Martin, who resigned last month when his position in the expenses scandal became untenable. It was the first time since 1695 that a Speaker of the House of Commons has been forced to step down.

Photo of British House of Commons by ruspace (Flickr)