It is quite wrong for party conferences to be used as an excuse for the Commons not to sit. Conferences could be held at weekends.

I'm supremely uninterested as to what is written in many of the newspapers.

If you asked me if I'd rather be Speaker or a very senior minister, I'd say Speaker.

For far too long the House of Commons has been run as little more than a private club by and for gentleman amateurs.

When I first started out in politics I was, what you might describe as, a hard right Conservative.

I am seeking every day to restore faith in Parliament - to ensure we have a House of Commons which is representative, effective and reconnected to the people we serve.

I think the record shows that as Speaker, I have taken the lead in cleaning up politics.