UK lawmakers electing new speaker to replace John Bercow

British lawmakers were electing a new House of Commons speaker on Monday to replace the influential but controversial John Bercow.

Bercow retired last week after a decade as speaker that saw him become a central player in Britain's Brexit drama.

Like Bercow, the new speaker will run the daily business of the Commons, keeping lawmakers in line with robust cries of "Order!" Some politicians, however, want to see a more cautious approach than that taken by Bercow, who prided himself on making the government answer to Parliament.

The speaker is supposed to be an impartial arbiter of Parliament's rules, but critics accused Bercow of favouring anti-Brexit politicians at the expense of those supporting