Cameron and Clegg sworn in as MPs (From South Wales Guardian)

Cameron and Clegg sworn in as MPs

3:58pm Wednesday 19th May 2010

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Prime Minister David Cameron and his Deputy Nick Clegg have been sworn in as MPs in the new-look House of Commons.

Tory and Lib Dem ministers from the coalition Government were among the first batch of newly-elected MPs to take the oath or affirm in order to take their seats on the famous green benches.

Speaker John Bercow, who was re-elected to the office, was the first Member to be sworn in, followed by Father of the House Sir Peter Tapsell.

Mr Clegg, who is an atheist, chose to affirm rather than swear an oath on one of the holy books.

The process of swearing in MPs is expected to continue into next week.

More than a third of MPs - 226 of the 650-seat chamber - will be fresh faces in Parliament after the expenses scandal prompted the biggest exodus in living memory.

According to tradition, the Speaker is the first MP to take the oath, followed by the Father of the House, the Cabinet, the shadow cabinet and other privy counsellors and ministers.

Backbench MPs are taken in order of seniority, based on length of service in the Commons.

MPs can choose to swear on either the New Testament, the Old Testament (in English or Hebrew), the Koran, the Granth, the Welsh Bible or the Gaelic Bible.