Full text of the Conservative leader's Commons tribute to outgoing Speaker, Michael Martin. "Mr Speaker, it is right that the House has this opportunity to pay tribute to the service that you have given. And for once I can actually say “you” while remaining in order. I share so much of what the Prime Minister […]
Iain Duncan Smith, Peter Bottomley and others have joined Edward Leigh to call for the Speaker to take on the powers currently held by the Leader of the Commons. This is the Early Day Motion initiated by Mr Leigh: "That this House believes that the Government should not control all the time on the floor […]
The election of a replacement for Michael Martin will take place a fortnight today. The Hansard Society has organised a Speaker's hustings for June 17, and confirmed participants so far are: Alan Beith MP John Bercow MP Sir Patrick Cormack MP Frank Field MP Richard Shepherd MP Last week Conservative MP for Buckingham, John Bercow, […]
John Bercow MP – the bookmakers' favourite to be the next Speaker because of strong support from Labour MPs – has written to all MPs, sending them a 3,000 word Reform Prospectus for Parliament. Here's a PDF of what the Tory MP for Buckingham has called 'The Speakership in the Twenty First Century.' Pasted below […]
The House of Commons heard a statement from the Speaker about expenses yesterday. Herewith the lowlights: "Members will be aware of the unauthorised disclosure of material relating to their allowances, which has appeared in the press on Friday and over the weekend. This has caused great public concern. Leaving aside the legal aspect, to which […]