The ins and outs

stereodog

Sir Alan Beith would make an excellent speaker. He's been an excellent figurehead for the National Liberal Club in recent years and would do the same for Parliament.

Neil_C

My moneys on Sir George Young, has enough support across the house!!
The fact he's a baronet will cause Macavity endless extra stess in his class-war which is enough for me to support him ha ha!!

C Powell

It needs to be someone with integrity; someone whose expenses are within the spirit of the rules; someone who has not voted in the past in favour of exempting MPs from the FoI Act. Perhaps you can reissue your list telling us what the candidates' position was on the third item on my list above.

C Powell

Apparently Labour are pushing John Bercow, who has one of the biggest expenses bills around. The Tories need to make clear that the new Speaker must be someone who has not been at the trough - otherwise it will prove that Labour still don't get it. And that they'll use it against Labour MPs at the election. Tories need to fight hard on this; otherwise we'll have the law of unintended consequences again. Having got rid of one greedy Speaker we'll get another one just as greedy.

Andy Leeds

Sir George Young or Frank Field. Either would do and make an excellent Speaker.

Vulture

Bercow is a weasel. He was a hard-line Thatcherite when that was the fashion, (just like Maude and Portillo)then became a jelly-bellied liberal neo-Bliarite when that was modish. Reliably reported to be thinking of defecting along with those traitors Quentin Davies and Shaun Woodward, he is a greasy opportuniist who would be an utterly disastrous Speaker. I'd far rather have Gorbals Mick back. Dave's wisest decision as leader has been to refuse this little creep entry to the Shadow cabinet.

greg

Notwithstanding his 'thoughing' Sir Alan Haselhurst deserves the job solely for this performance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Sl4yAGxVDo

Baldwin

My initial choice for Speaker was Menzies Campbell, but as he plans not to run, Alan Beith seems a fair alternative.

Since the Tories are likely to form the next government soon, it is probably best to maintain tradition and recruit from another party.

Baldwin

Oops, I may have got it wrong about Menzies not wanting to run.

However, I still thing either he or Alan Beith should make a good Speaker and be big advance on Martin.

Liz Brown

@vulture - I couldn't agree more - Bercow is a little shit and I think that his wife is on the Government benches
Additionally, I feel it would be totally wrong to select a Speaker whose Constituency is North of the Border - we have already been well and truly screwed by the Scottish Mafia I speak as a disillusioned Scot

Dirty Euro

John Bercow seems quite OK to me.
Dennis Skinner would be a good one.

mac

The In(s) and Out(s).

Tsk, tsk. Enough of that, Pete; "Gentleman's clubs" is the latest socialist soundbite jibe, don't you know.

Ruth Bonner

Now I want to see the expenses of those who stand for the Speaker role. They should be published, good or bad, redacted or unredacted. If the Commons won't do it then the Telegraph should do it online.

Then the public, media and MPs themselves can decide which of the candidates is best suited to push the necessary reforms through (and I don't mean those the present Prime Minster is advocating).

This is the last chance MPs will have before a General Election to try and redeem themselves in the public's eyes. And if they elect a rampant trougher, then we can get rid of the whole bally lot of them when the time comes.

Alan Beith has already announced he wishes to stand. Come on Telegraph. Chop, chop.

Michael Booth

Can we please have an English Speaker, seeing as we are not allowed to have an English Parliament?

Vulture

@ liz brown - thanx for your support, liz, but sadly bercow sits for a proudly English seat: Buckingham. Whatever else he is, he's no Tory. If there is a Liebour plan to run him, that should disqualify him straight away.

kliper35

Sir Alan Beith is a decent man of integrity and would be an excellent speaker. He commands respect across all parties and is a hugely experienced parliamentarian. A facebook group supporting this is at:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=101576603311&ref=ts