Speaking out against Bercow

Dorothy Wilson

Labour's mischief making in backing Bercow merely reveals the extent of the whole party's moral bankruptcy.

It also highlights the need for the Speaker to offer him/herself for re-election at the start of a new Parliament.

witteringsfromwitney

On the basis that the Speaker does need to be formally re-elected at the start of each Parliamentary term, if the Sunday Times is correct and there is 300+ new MPs, any Speaker chosen this term may well have a 'short life' in office!

Gawain

I suspect you're right. The likeliest outcome is an insipid candidate that threatens nobody. It is another reason why we need an election as soon as possible. Change will only come when we have a new Parliament, a new Government and new faces in the Commons. Please God let it be Conservative led change.

Fact check

Surely the people who are being crudely partisan are the Tories - representing well under a third of members of the House of Commons yet appearing to demand to be able to decide who gets the speakership?

If Labour MPs have the whip hand in this it is because there are rather more of them. That is what happens when you win an election.

Michael

"I have a slight suspicion that the next Speaker might well be someone whose name is not yet in the frame. "

Just wait for The Great Helmsman to locate some drongo on the Labour back benches. The Labour Party will then vote him in.

Morus

I don't want Bercow to become Speaker, but there is a deep and purple irony in conservatives decrying Labour for having the temerity to support him.

The Labour Party acknowledges that having three Labour Speakers in a row isn't acceptable, so they are prepared to elect a Tory - albeit a Tory they think is not too loyal to the Conservative Party. That happens to be Jon Bercow.

I really don't see that this is any different to the Tories who are cheerleading for Frank Field. I prefer Field, and I think his ACA figures indicate he has been more restrained and honest than almost all others, but it is hypocritical of conservatives to complain Bercown is being chosen to punish the Conservatives, when one could equally say that the Conservative support for Field has at least one eye on irritating the Prime Minister by elevating one of his most hated Parliamentary colleagues.

There are good arguments against Bercow becoming Speaker, and there is a good case to be made for the mendacity of the Parliamentary Labour Party. Complaining that Labour are supporting Bercow to annoy Cameron (when the Tories are doing the same with Field) is the weakest example of their mistakes and the worst of the reasons to oppose the member for Bucks.

TGF UKIP

Anyone who believes this is going to be anything but viciously tribal and whipped from the Labour side must be utterly naive.

Field himself recognized this by immediately saying that any candidature of his would be blocked by his own side where he is seen as being insufficiently partisan.

Unfortunately, we are back in the realm of hoping these dark and dirty Brownite Labour deeds are going to be unmasked by the media and particularly the broadcast media - fat chance with the Brown Broadcasting Corporation, Sky News and Channel 4.

DavefromLuton

Am I alone in thinking that Ian Duncan Smith would be a good choice?

strapworld

Lyn Featherstone has proved herself to be an extremely good constituency MP. She was excellent as leader of the Lib Dem opposition group o Harringey Council at the time of the first brutal child murder, and has proved excellent during the baby Peter disgrace.

A good speaker, who would, I believe gain support from all sides of the House of Commons.

It would be a breath of fresh air to have a brave, independent, forward thinking female speaker of the house.

Step forward Speaker Lynn Featherstone

TrevorsDen

IDS would be OK but physically a weak voice to keeporder.

I would like to see IDS in government.

Suki

One can only hope Ann Widdecombe goes for it.

Her appearance on Channel 4 News on Friday was magnificent. Soft-soap Nadine Dorries was also on the show and having recently said she will go to the courts over McBridegate (bad move) she started saying people were 'suicidal'!

WIdders was having none of that and then Krishnan Guru Murthy (one of the stupidest men on television) told Widders she must have known what was being put down on other people's expense forms. As if they'd all run their expense forms past her. She made mincemeat of the buffoon.

Come on Widders. The Conservative Party have never liked you but the public always has.

John Page

And does Bercow not think more highly of Bercow than he does of the Commons?

Preening should be a disqualification.

Verity

It should have been obvious that, having acknowledged that they couldn't carry off a third Labourite in a row, they would push for an Heirite.

Denis Cooper

It seems that most of the Labour MPs have learned nothing from recent events, and for them it's business as usual.

That became clear on Tuesday, when there was a half hour discusssion about the government's insistence that over 70 late amendments to the Policing and Crime Bill should be passed with virtually no debate.

Some very good points were made by Opposition MPs, and some Labour MPs even agreed with them, but what happened at the end?

The mass of the Labour MPs did as they were told, and voted through the government's programme motion, 278 - 212.

Then today I read:

"Fury as Commons denied DNA vote"

which is, presumably, one consequence of the Labour MPs slavishly voting through that programme motion.

mac

@Fact Check:

Your final sentence omitted the words "4 years and a political eternity in the past" but hey, that'll be "the rules"; huh?

No doubt your admirable sense of propriety will mean that you will accept, uncomplainingly, the dose of reality that will follow the GE? Or do you subscribe to that vainglorious lefty assertion that the Labour Party is the 'political wing of the British people', so anything other than a socialist government can only be heresy?

Simon Icke

I believe it would be a disaster for Parliament and democracy if my constituent MP, John Bercow was to become Speaker of the House of Commons. it seems the only reason New Labour are supporting him is that they know he is disliked by so many Tory MPs. Gordon Brown supporting Mr Bercow would be an act of childish spite against David Cameron as he knows the Conservatives will win the next election. It would be Brown's last deliberate divisive act and prove all the negative things that have been said about him.

The Speaker of the House should be someone who has universal support in Parliament; who commands respect from MPs from all parties and someone who's expense claim record is above criticism if they are to have the credibility to sort out the expense scandal.

John Bercow has changed from being a right wing conservative to a 'trendy new labour liberal' It seems he is not a man of conviction but someone who can change his politics and his core beliefs like most people change their underwear. 'Ambitious opportunist', springs to mind. He should do the honourable thing and resign his safe Conservative seat and hope that New Labour offer him a safe Labour seat. It might not be in leafy Buckinghamshire though, it might be in a poor inner city area up north somewhere. I am sure he will be able to buy a second or third home there, at a very reasonable price and not need to claim the maximum on his second home expense allowance every year.

Unfortunately, I don't think he has the courage or integrity to cross the floor of the House into the open arms of Gordon Brown. I think he will hold on to his Buckinghamshire seat at all costs and continue to do as he pleases; as he believes he is invincible. I believe his own local Conservative party officials and members haven't got the stomach to deselect him. Therefore, I hope an Independent real conservative will stand against him at the next General Election.

drakes drum

Perhaps Brown will suggest that the people will decide whom the next Speaker is?

some chance!

Oscar

Bercow does not have the stature for the job, and Labour playing political games over his candidacy shows they are beyond all hope of sincere reform. Brown has brought his party to an all time low.

I agree with Suki - Widdercombe won me round after her C4 appearance. The short, sharp shock Widders would administer is just what Westminster needs.

strapworld

Let us not overlook the fact that Ms Widdecombe MP was one of those head in the sand MP's who did NOT want, we the people, to know what their expenses were!

That, in my mind, disqualifies her.

She is not the person to drive real change.

Cogito Ergosum

Perhaps the new Speaker might be drawn from the Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of parliamentary committees. Such members presumably have a degree of experience and attract some respect.

Let the Spectator publish such an analysis.

Richard W

@Simon Icke
Perhaps one reason why Bercow is standing is because if he's elected Speaker he'll be able to be returned in Buckinghamshire without any problems, as it's a tradition that the Conservative Party has always upheld that you don't put up a candidate against the Speaker; so then he will have no problem with his local members.

Simon Icke

The only MPs who should be considered for the Speaker vacancy, should be those who can demonstrate an absolutely clean record on their expense claims over the years they have been an MP. The new Speaker must have the utmost integrity and command the full respect from all fellow MPs in the House whatever their politics. They should also be a person of humility, calm, not self seeking, nor ambitious for personal power and gain and who won't have biased or unbalanced views, when topics are debated, they must be completely even handed. The MP who springs to mind who meets all of these qualities is Iain Duncan Smith who has claimed next to nothing in the last four years for second home or hotel expenses. He has the utmost integrity and of excellent good character and who is respected by all.

His detailed report on 'Breakdown Britain' proved the excellent work he is capable of and that he sincerely has the welfare of the nation at heart. He is in politics for what he can give not what he can take. (unlike so many others in the present Parliament who seem to be out from what they can get).

He is a man of humility with a clear speaking voice and also a good listener. He is the one who should be encouraged to stand and given full support across party lines from the whole House. He is the man to sort out this terrible mess and restore the publics confidence in Parliament and in the important office of Speaker of the House.

He even showed great composure and dignity when he was forced to stand down as opposition leader, despite the fact he was stabbed in the back by people, in his own party, who showed themselves to have no loyalty and no decency in the way they publicly undermined a very decent person. A lesser person would of crumbled and later been full of vengeful bitterness. But not IDS he just carried on in his calm dignified way even though he must of been hurting inside. In my book he is an honest professional. He is a man of true honour.,a very rare find indeed these days.

Denis Cooper

There's a recently updated note on the new procedure for electing the Speaker here:

http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/briefings/snpc-05074.pdf

NB - "Thus there will always be an election of a Speaker at the start of a new Parliament, whether or not the Speaker in the previous Parliament has been returned as a Member. If the previous Speaker has indicated a wish to continue in post, custom and practice indicates that such an election has been purely formal. However, Standing Orders note that the question could be negatived."

the white dragon of olde england

apart from two all the other chairmen are labour placemen and women.
They have not covered themselves with glory over the pasy years, have they?

Edward Leigh the Conservative Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee has done a good job, but I do not think he would want the speakers role.

The job has to go to Alan Beith he really is doing his best to get someone, anyone, to support him!!

Dorothy Wilson

Fact Check & Morus

Those Conservatives who are backing Frank Field are doing so because he is an independent spirit of great integrity.

Those in NuLabour who are backing Bercow are doing so to cause trouble for the Conservatives.

At a time when Parliament is in disarray and the country on the verge of bankruptcy they should be ashamed of themselves. They need to grow up.

Susan Hill

I said it ages ago, I`ll say it again.
Ann Widdecombe. Ann Widdecombe. Ann Widdecombe.

Denis Cooper

There's a recently updated note on the new procedure for electing the Speaker here:

http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/resea rch/briefings/snpc-05074.pdf

NB - "Thus there will always be an election of a Speaker at the start of a new Parliament, whether or not the Speaker in the previous Parliament has been returned as a Member. If the previous Speaker has indicated a wish to continue in post, custom and practice indicates that such an election has been purely formal. However, Standing Orders note that the question could be negatived."

Roger Thornhill

"It would be an affront to the electorate and an abuse of MPs' remaining power”

New Labour's 12 years in a sentence.

Dan Filson

Has anyone thought of Simon Hughes? - he is intelligent but his career with the LibDem front bench is going nowhere and he is loathed by both main parties - this seems to fit the bill.

George Zaleski

My experience of RH Bercow is that he is unhelpful, slow and only seems to do the bare minimum so as not to look bad. As an MP he has more interest in his own future than his constituents.