Dissing Speaker Charles is dangerous precedent

SIR THOMAS de Hungerford of Wiltshire was the first person to be recorded in the rolls of the Parliament of England as holding the office of speaker of the House of Commons of England in 1377.

The position of speaker now exists in many countries, including Commonwealth nations. The speaker is expected to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce results of votes, decide who may speak, and take appropriate disciplinary action, where necessary.

I saw part of a video clip on the evening news where senior Member of Parliament Peter Bunting told the speaker, Pearnel Charles Sr, that he would refuse to sit after the speaker had ordered him to do so. Then, to my utter amazement, several of his colleagues stood and, as if in chorus, started to chant the same words of defiance.

I have tried, without success, to get an account of what preceded this behaviour, which may well be unprecedented in our parliamentary history. What I fear is that precedent may have been set.

If this is so, we should not be surprised if men – and women – start jumping over desks and engaging in fisticuffs as the position of speaker, thanks to this incident, becomes redundant.

Precedent is powerful. But we tolerate the tyranny of precedence for good reasons. GLENN TUCKER glenntucker2011@gmail.com