Awkward scenes in the Commons just now where Conservative MP James Duddridge has called for a debate on John Bercow’s replacement as speaker. After being picked by Bercow, the Tory MP told Parliament:
His comments did not go down well with Bercow’s chums on the other benches, with one MP calling the intervention ‘ridiculous’. Unsurprisingly, too, Bercow – who was sitting slumped down in his chair – was not impressed either. He told Duddridge:‘Given your manifesto commitment to go by the 22nd June, can we have a debate…about what we want from a speaker, what type of speaker we want before we move to a secondary discussion about who we want to replace you.’
‘I…very gently say to the honourable gentleman in terms which are very straightforward and which I know he will be fully able to understand that after each general election the proposition about the speaker returning to the chair is put and it is then voted upon by the house.
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