* Vince Cable has just announced he won't be standing for Speaker. Meanwhile, I've just been stalked round the TV channels by a certain Ann Widdecombe. Not interested she cries to Jon Sopel. Not interested at all, she tells Kay Burley. Won't be standing she tells LBC. So take it as read that she's gagging for it! Just my little joke.
* Meanwhile, I understand that Frank Field is very keen to put his name forward but is concerned that he won't get enough support from the Labour benches. The same may be said of John Bercow who is mentioned by virtually every Labour MP I talk to but not by Tories.
* Labour MPs are in internecine warfare mode, blaming each other for the fate of Speaker Martin. Ann Keen was heard berating a fellow Labour MP saying "Well I hope you're proud of yourself".
* John Mann's a bit humourless, isn't he? I just did Sky News with him. He did talk a bit of sense in amongst his rants about "gentlemens' clubs". Very tribal though. Normally after these interviews you have a bit of a gossip. He just walked off. Maybe the Aqua di Gio has worn off...
34 comments:
Read this in the Mail today, think it pplies to today's gang of MP's as well as those it was originally intended for.
Oliver Cromwell's Speech on the Dissolution of the Long Parliament
Given to the House of Commons
20 April 1653
It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonored by your
contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice;
ye are a factious crew, and
enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell
your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.
Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have
no more religion than my horse; gold is your God;
which of you have not barter'd your conscience
for bribes?
Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?
Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defil'd this sacred place, and turn'd the Lord's temple into a den
of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the
whole nation;
you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redress'd, are yourselves gone!
So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors. In the name of God, go!
Mr Bercow is allegedly using a snorkal at the trough. No wonder Labour MPs are so keen. Mr Field, on the other hand, has a good track record in integrity, intellectual rigour, and fairness. No wonder Tories are so keen. It's going to need an MP of Ministerial quality to recover the dignity of the speaker and to reform the House. Mr Field is the man. We are now rid of a pustule on the face of the body politic. time to be discussing how to cure it of the plague.
wv: pubecto!?
Yes John Mann`s humour by pass operation was a great success...Ranting is the only thing he ever does. Dont think he`s bright enough to be able to manage reasoned debate....
'Maybe the Acqua di Gio has worn off'
You let your dog piss on him? I'd have walked off myself.
I have never even heard of John Bercow until the speculation started.
Personally - I'll stick with Frank Field.
Labour MP's should get a bit of backbone and get over their tribal desire to have another overly partisan Michael Martin figure in the speakers chair. That way spells disaster.
I have a high opinion of Field so may be biased. Nonetheless I think if Labour don't go for him there is absolutely no chance of them getting one of their's as Speaker any time soon. It is undeniably more than the Conservative's time & nobody expects Labour to have much credibility in the next Parliament. If they want any sort of bi-partisanship for the next 5 years they should grab him with both hands.
If the Labour Party is set on revenge they could force Bercow on us.
He's perfect for them, dripping wet, Labour wife, and annoys the hell out of proper conservatives for his tiresome political correctness.
Could be their perfect revenge.
As GOM says John Bercow is a prime time trougher. Full details at Guido's. Looks like Bercow should be voted out of Parliament and into the tower for an extended stay by twelve of his fellow citizens.
The danger from talk like this, Iain, is it becomes a Westminster Bubble story rather than what it should have been - an issue about MPs taking the michael on tax payers money.
I don't mind the gossip :) but the danger is one of distraction.
"Vince Cable has just announced he won't be standing for Speaker."
Wow. Wonder what skeletons he has hiding in his expenses then.
If the Speaker troughs whose Star Chamber can deselect him?
though true blue myself I'd rather this time the Chair went to the best candidate regardless of party, even if it is the "turn" of a conservative. Beith, Field, Cable may all be good conciliatory candidates but we really need a strong Speaker to ensure impartiality both ways, keep order/control over the MPs and how they carry on, and also to protect the ability/powers of the Commons to question the executive and hold it to account. Of all the possibkle candidates, I think Anne Widdicombe would fit the bill closest. There is apparently a long standing labour MP from wales too who could do this but don't know much about him
Im a lorry driver now, used to be a hi tech computer nerd..still am but I live a ggod life in Sweden, my father was a factory worker, my mother washed dishes to put me through grammar school...f**k Martin
my mother lost 35% of her pension thanks to Brown and the likes of that s**t head Martin- get lost you Scottish git
What better revenge than Scottish Labour MPs hoisting a Scottish Catholic MP (and Cabinet minister) on to hapless Tories et.al. Jim Murphy is their man!! Given Scottish Labour party in such disarray and many Scottish Labour MPs not seen making it in the GE( The SNP sinking them),
no better way of preserving the survival of one of their own as a speaker- Jim Murphy replacing Gorbals Mick!
I watched Mann with you on TV Iain.
I can imagine 3 centuries ago he could have been a Ranter.
He's just a ranter now...humourless .. although as you said, much of his rant made sense.
He of course is totally unPC. Gentleman's Club? The HOC allows wimmin in...
"Well I hope you're proud of yourself". -- well I hope he is.
The more tribal labour MPs are just bitter at the Gorbals Mick jibes. Martin was not simply working class (Thomas was and was widely respected) - he was incompetent partial and boorish and ignorant.
BTW - working mens clubs set their own rules as well as gentlemens clubs.
Field is the only Labour MP I would support. Whom is a long standing assiduous back bench MP? that was the tradition until former minister Selwyn Lloyd became speaker.
What we want is not just a speaker who will ensure probity in politics and parliament, but also one who will protect parliament from the interference and dictatorship of government.
Dale, have a read of this article
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1151829/FRANK-FIELD-I-sickened-Margaret-Thatchers-MPs-hated-her.html
Anonymous said...
""Vince Cable has just announced he won't be standing for Speaker."
Wow. Wonder what skeletons he has hiding in his expenses then."
I don't think it's a matter of skeletons at all. Cable is probably largely clean of any troughing.
I'd be willing to bet that it comes down to what benefits the LibDems more; his current role (quoth Iain Dale "national economic sage") is tremendously beneficial to the Liberal Democrat party. The position of Speaker would mute him and I strongly doubt LibDem HQ would ever consider losing the man who the public trust more than any other LibDem at this moment.
John Mann?
Try here.
A humourless speaker doesn't sound so bad after the joker we have had for years.
Oh, and bring back Filkin for Standards Commissioner
Vince Cable honourary Glaswegian, Gorbal Mick's colleague as a councillor in Glasgow council, ruling himself out? Used to a rather small crowd of Lib dem front benchers, I can't see him making it in a higher dimension as a Speaker of HOC.
Frank Field is too important for generating ideas to be stymied as speaker.
John Mann is a typical Communist.
Hail to our great ex leader. Tony couldnt have picked a better man (except Martin and Brown)
http://waugh.standard.co.uk/2009/05/prezza-as-gracious-as-ever.html
Just the way to say goodbye to them all, thanks John first sensible thing you have ever said. Pity you directed at us (your emloyers, you know, the ones who paid for your toilet seats, Jaguars and the rest of your miserable poverty)
The Gentleman's Club meme is getting tiresome. It was repeated ad nauseam on C4 News. What a sickening thing it is that Brown only cares about political point scoring at a time like this.
Ann Widdicombe for speaker?
Oh yes please.
I love that woman.
Went to Bradford Grammar School with John Mann where he was noted for being boring and obsessively Labour to the point of being ignorant
Gordon Brown, you broke parliament. For God's sake do not try to repair it yourself. Send for an expert
Chris Mullin has just been outed on Newsnight. Iain, you have spent "an evening" with him. Is is a goer?
No it isn't!
Richard Shepherd has to be speaker. Intelligent, knows the ropes, keen on transparency and on holding the executive to account.
The Mail is despicable for its soubriquet 'Gorbals Mick' for Michael Martin.
Its mean, snobbish - coined by Q Letts - and wrong. M Martin was born and brought up in Anderton - on the north bank of the Clyde, Gorbals is south and quite different. For southern folk - a bit like confusing Acton with Bermondsey.
I wish I cud urn £100m a year for reeding badly,espeshally wiv an unintelligble accent.
Frank Field is the man for PM,in a COALITION.
Lets have an ENGLISHMAN,for OUR Parliament,a David sounds good !
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