John Bercow has vowed he will remain as Speaker of the House of Commons while there are “great issues” such as Brexit to be resolved.
The Speaker was expected to stand down in June or July but has now said it would “not be sensible to vacate the chair” within that timeframe.
The move could anger hardline Brexiteers who have in the past accused him of Brexit bias.
Speaking in Washington on Tuesday, he told The Guardian: “I do feel that now is a time in which momentous events are taking place and there are great issues to be resolved and in those circumstances, it doesn’t seem to me sensible to vacate the chair.”
He added that if he had intention to announce his departure he would first speak of it in Parliament.
Addressing reports he was to stand down, the Speaker said: "I’ve never said anything about going in July of this year.”
Mr Bercow’s comments came after he warned Tory leadership candidates that a no-deal Brexit could still be blocked in the Commons.
Contenders like Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab have insisted the UK will leave on 31 October “deal or no deal”.
Mr Bercow said: “The idea the House won't have its say is for the birds," adding: “The idea that parliament is going to be evacuated from the centre stage of debate on Brexit is unimaginable.
Agreeing that leaving without a deal was the default position, he said: “There is a difference between a legal default position and what the interplay of different political forces in parliament will facilitate.”
The Speaker, who was elected in 2009 and is approaching 10 years in the post, has in recent months faced criticism from pro-Brexit MPs.
Hardliners had raised fears he wanted to stop a no-deal exit from the bloc.
In January he was accused of ignoring the advice of his officials about parliamentary procedure and blocking a vote on the withdrawal deal.
Mr Bercow had said he was "not setting himself up against the government but championing the rights of the House of Commons".
