Kent MPs Helen Grant and Sir Roger Gale are hoping to be announced as Deputy Speaker in the House of Commons later today.

Mrs Grant was returned as MP for the new Maidstone and Malling constituency at the general election, having previously represented the former Maidstone and the Weald constituency for 14 years.

Sir Roger now represents the new Herne Bay and Sandwich constituency, having previously represented North Thanet since 1983.

Mrs Grant said she was “proud to have been the first black female Conservative MP and later, Minister, under David Cameron’s coalition government” and she said she was now hoping to become Parliament’s first black deputy speaker.

She added: “The House of Commons is a special place, the mother of all Parliaments, and the vanguard for many democracies around the world.”

But the Kent MPs face opposition from Karen Bradley (Staffordshire Moorlands), Nusrat Ghani (Sussex Weald), Wendy Morton (Aldridge-Brownhills) and Caroline Nokes (Romsey and Southampton North), who are all also nominated to become opposition deputy speakers.

MPs will be asked to elect three deputy speakers today, one from the Government side, and two from the opposition.

Voting takes place between 10am and 1.30pm in a secret ballot, using a single transferable vote system.

The result should be known this afternoon.