Who will be the next Speaker of the House of Commons? There seems to be many plots in Westminster, or perhaps in journalists’ minds. It looks as if there is a concerted movement against the maverick and reformist Tory MP, Mr John Bercow. Ms Margaret Beckett and Sir George Young are benefitting from the shenanigans orchestrated by the whips or the anti-reform parts of the Parliament, depending on whose report you trust. The broad analysis is the same (Mr Bercow’s votes are squeezed), but they differ in the result (Ms Beckett or Sir George). It is a tale of party interests, tactical voting, crossing and double-crossing: none of which does any credit to the soiled reputation of the MPs or to the Parliament.
