Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits Metropolitan Police training college in Hendon, London

Sir Lindsay Hoyle has been elected as the new Speaker of the House of Commons, winning the fourth and final ballot with a commanding 325 votes to Chris Bryant's 213.

Parliament missed the chance to elect its second female Speaker in 600 years, as Dame Eleanor Laing and Harriet Harman, the longest-ever continuously serving female MP, left the race.

Party leaders congratulated Mr Hoyle on his appointment, with Mr Johnson appearing to make a not-so-subtle dig at outgoing Speaker John Bercow as he stressed the need for the position to be impartial.

Earlier in the day, Nigel Farage accused the Conservatives of “conceited arrogance” as he unveiled 600 Brexit Party candidates who could split the Leave vote and scupper Boris Johnson’s chances of electoral victory.

Farage claimed the election is “likely” to result in a hung parliament and his MPs would be kingmakers. The senior Tory Jacob Rees-Mogg has pleaded with Mr Farage to “retire from the field ... it would be a great shame if he carries on fighting”.