Bercow & McLoughlin At War

Scroll in to 22.16.30

There was a very ugly altercation last night between Speaker Bercow and the Government Chief Whip, Patrick McLoughlin. It arose after ten pm when the Speaker appeared to help Labour in objecting to a Bill. The Labour whip had shouted "object" at the wrong point and the Speaker then motioned to the whip to shout it at the correct point. Patrick McLoughlin leapt from his seat and said something inaudible to the Speaker, clearly of a not wholly complimentary nature, and then made as if to leave the chamber. The Speaker admonished him in an extremely aggressive manner as you will see if you watch the video. Click HERE and scroll in to 22.16.30.

There were a lot of MPs in the chamber at the time, particularly from the 2005 intake, and I am told it was the first time they had witnessed such a scene. One of them wondered to me if the Speaker would have helped a Conservative whip in such a situation.

It is very unhealthy for a Speaker to be constantly at odds with one of the parties. The ill feeling is becoming apparent all too often. On the Speaker's side he seems to come down far heavier on Tory MPs than others - which is also being remarked upon by Labour MPs, but it is also unhealthy to have the Prime Minister making jokes at the Speaker's expense.

I fear this may all end in tears.

Bercow Issues Clarion Call Over Election Night Counts

Well done John Bercow. Today he basically told the Prime Minister to sort the issue of election night counts. As readers will know, up to one third of local authorities plan to hold their counts on the Friday after the election, giving weasel-worded excuses about the time it takes to process postal votes, the tiredness of the tellers etc. The Speaker has put it very bluntly to national and local political leaders. Sort it. This is what he said in response to a Point of Order by Julian Lewis.

"For my own part, I am a passionate believer in instant, not slow motion, democracy. It seems to me that it is in the interests of the House and the country that the count should take place on the night, and there are two overwhelmingly compelling reasons why: first, I believe that there could be a threat to the security of the ballot if the count is delayed; and, secondly, it seems to me that on the day the election takes place, it should be possible for the count also to take place so that we get the result speedily.

"Frankly, it should not be beyond the wit and sagacity of humankind—or indeed of local authorities—to ensure that that happens. I politely suggest to the House that what is required is not a passive acceptance of the particular views of individual local authority chief executives, but rather an assertion of leadership nationally and politically, at a local level, to achieve what I sense the House is uniting in wishing to see."

So, come on Mr Brown, come on local authority leaders. Do your duty and put these weak minded local authority chief executives (average annual salary around £175,000) in their place.

Hattip ConservativeHome

Bercow is a Servant of the House, Not Its Master

The votes are in and we must all now get used to Mr Speaker Bercow. As readers will know, I have expressed huge doubts about John Bercow's ability to do the job, and I am afraid the voting has proved that. He starts in exactly the same position as Michael Martin did nine years ago - with one side of the House almost wholly against him. But those of us who supported other candidates should now allow John Bercow to get on with the job and see what he makes of it. He has a lot to prove to a lot of people. And he has about a year to do it.

It would be churlish for Conservatives not to wish him well. If he makes a success of the job everyone should be happy. But John Bercow must remember that he is a servant of the House, not its leader. If he can succeed in enabling MPs to hold the Government to account more, to scrutinise legislation better and to help backbench MPs regain the power they need, then he will have done a great job. He can't achieve everything in a year, but he needs to reassure all parts of the House that he intends to do a job, and not become a personality. Yes, he can be a spokesman for the House, but he must beware of becoming a media personality. He should remember that interviewers are looking for stories. He has a particular tightrope to walk and must ensure that he remains on it at all time.

John Bercow should start as he means to go on. On Wednesday he should ensure that the Prime Minister answers questions rather than asks them. The first time a government minister announces a policy on the Today Programme, he should be hauled before the Commons to explain himself. Although he must be given a little time to find his feet, he also needs to send a clear signal that the House is now under new management.

Is Sir Alan About to Overtake Bercow?

I see John Bercow has done a Hazel Blears and decided to voluntarily pay Capital Gains Tax on a property he sold some time ago. Will that 'do' for his Speakership prospects? Maybe, maybe not. But I am told the Sunday papers will not make happy reading for him tomorrow.

This time last week it became the received wisdom that the prospects of Sir Alan Haselhurst had been damaged by his appearance in the Daily Telegraph Hall of Shame. Yet since then, with Frank Field being the only exception, virtually all the other leading contenders for the Speakership have also had their own problems with their expenses - Sir George Young, Sir Alan Beith, Sir Ming Campbell.

I wonder whether Sir Alan's erstwhile supporters who had thought about deserting him are now having second thoughts and returning to his fold. So far as I can see he is the Tory candidate with the best chance of getting support across the House.