Matt Murphy
Live Editor, in Washington DC

So after four votes and three failed candidates, the Republicans have finally landed on a new Speaker of the House.

We're ending our live coverage here and leaving Mike Johnson to get settled into his new office.

But you can read a full account of the day's twists and turns here, while our North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher has taken a look at the challenges facing Johnson in the months ahead.

Image source, Getty Images

Mike Johnson has been sworn in as the 56th Speaker of the House Representatives, ending a tumultuous 22-day vacancy since Kevin McCarthy's ouster three weeks ago.

Here's how it happened:

• The Louisiana Republican was nominated on Tuesday evening after three rounds of voting held by Republicans in a closed-door meeting. During that time, four others were axed from the list of nominees
• Johnson received an early endorsement from Donald Trump, who stepped outside of court during his fraud trial on Wednesday to write on X: "My strong suggestion is to go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson"
• Chair of the House Republican conference Elise Stefanik nominated Johnson formally on the House floor. He then received a vote from every House Republican in attendance, 220 in total, more than the requisite 215
• House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries warned of threats facing American democracy during his introductory speech for Johnson before handing over the gavel
• Johnson told Congress "the best days of America are still ahead of us" shortly before he was sworn in. He then asked the House: "Would you like to get right to governing?"
• He quickly outlined the future agenda of the House, listing securing the southern border and providing aid to Israel as top priorities

Among the Republicans who has praised Mike Johnson's election is New York's Anthony D'Esposito. The New Yorker has been one of the holdouts who blocked Jim Jordan's tilt for leadership.

Speaking to reporters outside, D'Esposito vowed that the Party - now with a Speaker - will immediately begin exploring "what we can get a consensus on" with the Democrats.

First order of business, he said, is likely to be appropriations and a focus on the budget.

"We need to not waste any time," he said. "What we've done the last few days is not work".

"He [Johnson] has a very good understanding that we need to take control of that we've missed out on in the last three weeks," D'Esposito added. "Our goal is to govern and deliver for the American people".

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent

In the end, the longest House leadership conflict of modern times ended the way wars sometimes do, with both sides losing the stomach to keep fighting.

Congressman Mike Johnson - the mild-mannered, bespectacled Louisianan - prevailed where the three previous speaker-designees did not as much for what he wasn’t, as what he was.

He wasn’t part of the existing Republican House leadership, whose top three officeholders – Kevin McCarthy, Steve Scalise and Tom Emmer – had been rejected by hard-line conservatives over the past three weeks. Nor is he an ideological bomb-thrower like Jim Jordan, who was beloved by Donald Trump and the party’s populist right.

Instead, Johnson was trusted by party’s right wing without the baggage that made enemies elsewhere. He has taken controversial positions – supporting a nationwide abortion ban, backing Trump’s efforts to reverse the 2020 election results and fighting against gay marriage rights – but done so quietly and, for the most part, outside the view of television cameras.

And his lack of ambition from the outset, by not entering his name as a speaker candidate until the third contest, may have made him the perfect vessel for Republicans wishing to move past weeks of political trauma and given him the ability to win votes without making specific concessions or commitments.

To succeed as speaker, Mr Johnson is going to have to do more than that, however. Once the cheering and applause die down, the new speaker will have a busy legislative agenda to address with little time to do it.

The Biden administration and its allies in the Senate are pressing for a multi-billion dollar military aid bill for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan. And a temporary funding measure is set to expire on 17 November, triggering a government shut-down unless Congress takes action.

It is during negotiations with Democrats that Johnson’s speakership will be put to the test. McCarthy’s fate was sealed when his party’s right flank felt he caved to Democrats in a May deal to raise the cap on new US national debt and when he temporarily avoided an October government shutdown without winning any new concessions.

Image source, Getty Images

President Joe Biden has congratulated Mike Johnson on his election as Speaker and promised "to work with him in good faith on behalf of the American people".

Highlighting his own bipartisan efforts, Biden said that he believed Americans expected Republicans to also reach across the aisle. This moment, he said, called for lawmakers to put American priorities above partisanship.

The president urged House Republicans to move quickly on his funding package to aid Israel and Ukraine and help secure the southern border. He also used the opportunity to remind them that the government would shutdown in mere weeks.

"We need to move swiftly to address our national security needs and to avoid a shutdown in 22 days," he said.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from Capitol Hill

On the steps of the Capitol, Johnson seems to be seeking to send a reassuring message to the US people.

In his remarks, he vowed an "aggressive" schedule now that the House is "back in business".

It was a short set of remarks, largely devoid of policy arguments with the exception of the upcoming vote on an Israel resolution.

He ignored multiple shouted questions from the crowd about his role in denying the results of the 2020 election - an issue that has already dogged him in the last few days.

Image source, Getty Images

Donald Trump shuffled out of his fraud trial to quickly congratulate Mike Johnson for winning the Speakership.

"He will be a great Speaker of the House," Trump said.

But the former president did not keep to best wishes for the new Speaker. He also took some credit for the Louisiana lawmaker's success.

"At this time yesterday, nobody was thinking of Mike," Trump said. "And then we put out the word and now he's Speaker of the House."

"So, I want to just thank all of the great supporters that I have," Trump added.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from Capitol Hill

Image source, Reuters

Now that the House of Representatives has a Speaker, the chamber can get back to its "normal" work.

It's first vote after 22 days of stagnation is planned for this afternoon at about 15:00 local time - just moments from now.

Then, the representatives will vote on a resolution declaring the body's support for Israel as it fights "the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists".

It is the only vote scheduled for this afternoon.

Image source, Reuters

With his left hand on the Bible, and his right hand raised by his side, Mike Johnson was sworn in as House Speaker.

He vowed to faithfully discharge his duties "so help me God".

After a brief round of applause, Johnson grinned and asked the Chamber: "Would you like to get right to governing?"

Image source, Reuters

Johnson concludes his speech by addressing US citizens, and American adversaries around the world.

Despite the turmoil that has surrounded the Speaker selection process, he insists that the US system of government is still the best in the world.

"Let the enemies of freedom around the world hear us loud and clear: The People's House is back in business," he says.

And addressing the country at large, he tried to strike an optimistic tone.

"I genuinely believe in my heart that the best days of America are still ahead of us"

Getting to his political priorities, Johnson said that the US government must address southern border security.

Claiming that the issue had been ignored by the Democratic-led Senate and White House, he said it was time to "come together and addres the broken border".

President Joe Biden asked for funding to address border security in his Congressional budget request that includes money for Ukraine and Israel.

Mike Johnson seems eager to put weeks of bad press coverage and Republican infighting behind him as he casts a spotlight on America's strength.

"We all know that the world is in turmoil, but a strong America is good for the entire world," Johnson said.

"We are the beacon of freedom and we must preserve this grand experiment of self governance."

He says one of the first bills he brings forward will be in defence of Israel.

Image source, Getty Images

Speaking from the dais for the first time, Mike Johnson took a moment to thank the voters in his home state, Louisiana.

"We've never had a Speaker from our state," he said.

While it may be the first time the southern state holds the chamber's highest office, it had no shortage of candidates this time around. Previous nominee Steve Scalise also hails from the state.

At the start of his remarks, Mike Johnson took the opportunity to thank former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Without him, Johnson said Republicans would not be in the majority.

He followed that statement of appreciation by thanking the "overworked staff of this beleaguered House."

That earned laughs and a great deal of applause from both sides of the aisle.

Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader, said it was his "solemn honor and responsibility" to hand the Speaker's gavel to Mike Johnson.

Johnson thanked Jeffries for the introduction, praised him for his love of his country and promised to "find common ground" despite their differences.

He jokes that his ascension to the Speakership came suddenly, meaning his wife could not be present today as she couldn't catch a flight in time.

Hakeem Jeffries is seizing the moment to remind listeners that President Joe Biden won the election in 2020 and said the "stakes are high", warning about the risks facing US democracy.

"Our union must be sustained, our union must be strengthened, our union must succeed," Jeffries says.

There are many across the country concerned at the "extremism that has been unleaded" within the term of this congress, he adds.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from Capitol Hill

Most of the Republicans in the room have been silent and stone-faced as Hakeem Jeffries speaks.

The only thing that both sides seem to agree on is Israel - which Jeffries described as one of America's best allies.

Lawmakers from both sides of the spectrum rose and applauded. The quickest to stand was Florida's Matt Gaetz.

Republican reaction was much more muted at the mention of Ukraine. While many of their representatives stood and applauded, a good chunk - perhaps a third - did not.

Marjorie Taylor Greene, for example, stayed in her seat, shaking her head and yawning as Jeffries mentioned US support for Ukraine.

Image source, Reuters

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is given the task of introducing the new Speaker, Mike Johnson.

As he took took to the stand one member yelled: "That's what a Speaker looks like."

Using the moment of bipartisanship, Jeffries signalled that Democrats are open to working with their Republican colleagues whenever possible.

He then listed his party's priorities and highlighted their efforts "to push back extremism", noting a number of "blue lines in the sand" that are diametrically opposed to Johnson's Christian conservatism.

He also vowed to continue championing aid to Ukraine and said the US cannot "bow down to Putin". Some House Republicans - including allies of Johnson's - have increasingly opposed more aid to Ukraine.

Several of the failed candidates escorted Johnson to the Speaker's chair after the vote.

Among those who joined the walk were Tom Emmer and Steve Scalise, neither of whom even got a vote on the House floor after being nominated.

Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy accompanied the group as well. His loss of the Speakership role sparked the 22-day political disaster.

Hakeem Jeffries, who was nominated in every Speaker vote by Democrats, was also invited to join.

Johnson is now set to address the House for the first time as Speaker. You can watch live by clicking the play button at the top of the page.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from Capitol Hill

There's a very real feeling of relief on the side of the room where most of the Republicans are sitting. Many of them are smiling as Johnson officially becomes the next Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Johnson is sitting about three rows from the back, directly in front of the man whose ouster brought us to this point, Kevin McCarthy.

He's smiling and thanking his colleagues. It's a bit subdued. On Capitol Hill, Johnson is known as a quiet representative who prefers to avoid the cameras.

Those around him are ecstatic - and he's received a long round of applause. Many - not all - of the Democrats also applauded him as he was officially named Speaker.