John Bercow

Divisive, controversial, atypical - few others embody the fraught nature of British politics today quite like John Bercow. A man who is revered by his one-time political opponents and chastised by his former bedfellows. A politician who has traversed the deep chasm between the Conservative right and the liberal left. A Speaker some see as a great moderniser and others, a constitutional arsonist. With Brexit left unresolved, Bercow is determined to ensure that he, the 157th person to occupy the Speaker's Chair, has left an indelible imprint on the history books. From suffering at the hands of bullies to standing up for backbenchers in the Commons, this is the story of John Simon Bercow, the son of a taxi driver from North London, and one of the most fascinating characters to grace the corridors of the Palace of Westminster.

Sebastian Whale started as a reporter at PoliticsHome and Total Politics in February 2015. More than two years later, he joined the political press 'lobby' after moving to The House magazine, where he was appointed deputy political editor. Sebastian was promoted to political editor the following April. He has also been published in The Guardian, The New Statesman (online) and The New European.