MPs tell Bercow: Your time is now up

FRIENDS of John Bercow have visited him to urge him to name a date for his departure.

A string of MPs are understood to have spoken to the Commons Speaker privately to tell him his ‘time is up’.

They do not expect him to go by the end of the week – as he originally promised – but they want him to make a statement outlining a timetable for his departure.

When he was elected, Mr Bercow promised he would step down after nine years – a deadline that he reaches tomorrow.

But he has steadfastly refused to step down – and earlier this week his wife Sally tweeted she was not ‘packing her bags’. The pair share a grace and favour apartment in the Houses of Parliament.

One MP said: ‘I had all but given up hope on Bercow going but things are afoot. Some people have visited Speaker Bercow privately and told him time is up.

‘There has been heavy campaigning from candidates to succeed him today. A narrative is growing that if we give him space, he will go within a year.’

There were rumours last night that MPs were collecting names for a letter calling

‘If we give him space, he will go’

on Mr Bercow to go. And there were plans to put down an Early Day Motion in the Commons to urge the Speaker to honour his 2009 pledge. EDMs are a way to measure the strength of Commons feelings on major issues.

Possible Labour successors include Harriet Harman, the former acting Labour leader; Chris Bryant, former shadow Commons leader; and the current deputy speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

For the Tories, Charles Walker could also throw his hat into the ring. Some also say the other two deputy speakers – Dame Rosie Winterton and Dame Eleanor Laing – could also stand.

A series of MPs are understood to have spoken to Mr Bercow to urge him to make a statement before the end of the week about his future.

They have asked him to consider a compromise position, whereby he would not necessarily step down tomorrow but would announce a date for him to go.

The MPs said while they would be happy for him to stay until Christmas – or maybe, at a push, Easter – he must be gone by next year’s summer recess.