Conservatives turn back on tradition with plan to contest Speaker’s seat
THE Conservatives are likely to break with convention and stand against John Bercow in the next general election, The Daily Telegraph understands.
They are lining up a Brexiteer to take on the Commons Speaker in the constituency of Buckingham. Convention dictates the major parties avoid contesting the Speaker’s seat to give them a clear run at victory and maintain continuity in the Commons chair.
But his frequent subversion of parliamentary precedent has angered many. The Telegraph understands the Tories will put up a candidate in the constituency at the next election – throwing down the gauntlet for other parties to also contest the seat.
One member of the Buckingham Conservative Association said that the Speaker “serves at his own pleasure”, although they admitted they were not aware of the plan for a new candidate.
In the debate last night in a thinly veiled criticism of Mr Bercow, Jacob Rees-mogg, Leader of the Commons, warned the motion “risks subverting Parliament’s proper role”. Peter Bone, a longstanding critic of the Speaker, also took a dig, claiming: “If this motion is carried tonight … it seems to me the Government would have every right to declare it ultra vires and ignore it.”
Mr Bercow snapped back, stating: “I have sought to exercise my judgment … I will do it to the best of my ability without fear or favour – to coin a phrase, come what may, do or die.”
Mr Bercow was first elected MP in 1997 and became Speaker in 2009 after Michael Martin resigned in the aftermath of the MPS’ expenses scandal.
He said he would serve for nine years but rowed back as the Brexit crisis engulfed Parliament. In May, he revealed he did not plan to stay on “much longer” but cited as justification for his extended term Theresa May’s aboutturn on the 2017 general election.
He has gone on repeatedly to draw the anger of government ministers. He was accused of “unilaterally changing” parliamentary rules in January when he allowed an amendment to a business motion, with Andrea Leadsom, then Commons leader, claiming that the move “damages all of Parliament”.
A change in prime minister did little to quell his outspoken nature and last week he interrupted a family holiday in Turkey to claim the Government’s intention to prorogue Parliament was a “constitutional outrage”.
He said: “Shutting down Parliament would be an offence against the democratic process.” The Telegraph then revealed Mr Bercow had collaborated with anti-brexit MPS to thwart the Government’s plan to take the UK out of the EU, regardless of a deal, on Oct 31.
Natascha Engel, a former deputy speaker who lost her seat in the 2017 snap election, accused Mr Bercow of having “invented new rules” and wanting to switch from “impartial referee to partisan player-manager”.
However, removing Mr Bercow from Parliament may prove difficult.
Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen, a long-term critic of the Speaker, believes even if his party fielded a candidate in Buckingham, Mr Bercow may still stand. “I would hope he would take the hint but I wouldn’t bank on it,” he said, adding: “He always supported tearing up conventions, so it’s difficult for him to oppose this.”
The Brexit Party has already announced its candidate for the seat – Andrew Bell is the son of Ronald Bell, the former South Bucks Conservative MP who was a close ally of Enoch Powell in the Seventies.