ELEANOR Laing has launched her bid to replace John Bercow as Commons Speaker when he stands down from the role.

The Paisley-born politician who has been Deputy Speaker since October 2013 would, if successful, become only the second female holder of the prestigious post of the Commons presiding officer in its 761-year history after Betty Boothroyd.

Dame Eleanor, who was briefly Shadow Scottish Secretary in 2005 when Michael Howard was leader of the Conservative Party, said there was "a lot to be done to take our democratic system onto the next stage".

Mr Bercow had originally promised to stand down from the Speakership after nine years in the role in June 2018 but changed his mind to oversee the Brexit process.

Dame Eleanor, 61, who has represented Epping Forest in Essex since 1997, told The House magazine: "I don't know when the Speaker will decide to go but it's very much his decision.

"And when he finally does decide that he's going to go, I expect that there will be a great many candidates to replace him and I would expect the deputy speakers to be amongst those candidates."

Speculation at Westminster is that also among the candidates could be Harriet Harman, the former deputy Labour leader.

Confirming her own intentions, the Scot said: "I will try to become Speaker when he finally decides to go. I am fortunate to have had five years' experience in the Speaker's chair. There is a lot to be done to take our democratic system onto the next stage."

Of late, Mr Bercow has come under intense pressure to quit following allegations of bullying, which he has strongly denied.

Dame Eleanor said the report by Dame Laura Cox, which exposed Westminster's culture of bullying and harassment, should be acted upon, noting: "You don't become a greater person by talking down to those who are junior or perceived to be inferior to you.

"But this is one organisation where there are some people who think that when they get to a certain stage that they have licence to behave in an inappropriate way to other people.”

She stressed how people at the top had to set an example so you get "a cascade of decent behaviour".

The Conservative MP claimed there was "too much aggression" at Prime Minister's Questions and suggested more women in the Commons would alter that.

"There's a certain amount of testosterone which drives this. It is a scientific fact that if you have less testosterone present, then you will have less aggression. So, if you have more women, you have less testosterone and less aggression. I put that as a scientific fact."

Dame Eleanor is vice-chairman of the Westminster Parliamentary Rangers Supporters' Club.