IS THE SPEAKER TOO OUTSPOKEN?

When a new Speaker of the House of Commons is elected, tradition dictates that MPS drag them to the Chair, said Rob Wilson in The Daily Telegraph. But in the case of the current speaker, John Bercow, Tory MPS are desperate to drag him out of it. He has long faced complaints about his perceived political bias, imperious manner and excessive expenses, and has been accused recently of bullying staff. Last week, in a further mark against him, he allegedly insulted Andrea Leadsom, the Leader of the House of Commons, in the chamber, muttering under his breath that she was a “stupid woman” and “f***ing useless”. Amid calls for him to step down, Bercow admitted muttering the word “stupid” during a disagreement with Leadsom, but denied insulting her personally.

Bercow brought this grief on himself, said Adam Boulton in The Sunday Times. When he first ran for Speaker in 2009, he said he’d serve nine years at most – a deadline that expires next month. But last year he appeared to change his mind, hinting that he’d stay on until 2022. This was a red rag to his critics. The chances of Bercow being ousted are nevertheless slim. The Commons standards committee voted last week against launching an inquiry into the bullying claims, and Leadsom isn’t planning to lodge a complaint. “MPS like to observe the proprieties, and many fear the authority of the Chair could not survive the public forcing-out of the second Speaker in a row.” Bercow will likely survive, agreed Patrick Maguire in the New Statesman. No. 10’s “outright hostility” towards him will only shore up his Labour support. Bercow deserves to survive, said Daniel Hannan in The Sunday Telegraph. “Abrasive” as he can be, he has a brilliant record of standing up for parliamentary supremacy. Unlike his predecessor Michael Martin, who was ousted over his handling of the expenses scandal, Bercow has never sided with ministers against backbenchers. He clashed with Leadsom last week, typically enough, because he was cross about the tabling of a ministerial statement during what was supposed to be Opposition time. “Excessive zeal in defence of the prerogatives of the Commons? That’s a vice we should want in every Speaker.”