British MPs begin process to pick Speaker

By Our Reporter

MEMBERS of British Parliament have made their pitches to succeed John Bercow as Speaker of the House of Commons in the first election for the powerful post in more than a decade.

The Speaker keeps order in Commons debates and calls MPs to speak.

Seven candidates are in the race, including Labour’s Harriet Harman and deputy Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

That list was whittled down to five after the first vote – rounds will continue until one candidate obtains more than half of the votes.

Labour MP Meg Hillier and Conservative Sir Edward Leigh were knocked out in the first round of the contest after receiving 10 and 11 votes respectively.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle received the most votes in round one (211), followed by Dame Eleanor Laing (113), Chris Bryant (98), Harriet Harman (72) and Dame Rosie Winterton (46).

Bercow stood down last week after an eventful and frequently controversial decade in the Speaker’s chair. His resignation as MP for Buckingham was officially confirmed yesterday.

The first to speak was Labour’s Dame Rosie Winterton. She said the Speaker’s job was “not to dominate proceedings or speak for Parliament”, and promised to “douse the flames not pour petrol on them”.

Another Labour MP Chris Bryant said he believed in “a Speaker who will stand by the rules, who is completely impartial and who knows Erskine May (the parliamentary rule book) back to front”, adding: “I’ve got it lying by my bedside.”

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He also pledged to end clapping in the chamber and “sort out the wi-fi” – pledges that were themselves met with clapping from those listening.

Conservative Sir Edward Leigh said a Speaker should “submerge their character in the job” and be “a quiet voice”.

He also said the preservation of parliamentary buildings should be done “in the interests of our paymaster – the taxpayers”. “We cannot waste billions of pounds,” he said.

Current deputy Speaker Eleanor Laing expressed sadness at the number of MPs deciding not to run again at the December election and vowed to stand up for all members, if selected for the job.

She said Parliament needed to “escape from the hierarchical structures that allow bullying to take root”.

Also addressing the subject of bullying, Labour’s Meg Hillier said MPs needed to protect staff in the House, warning bullying “will become the next expenses scandal”.

Bercow was criticised for not doing more to tackle allegations of bullying and harassment in the Commons, and was himself accused of mistreating several members of staff, which he denied.

Another current deputy Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, said he had introduced security measures for MPs “so we can feel safe”.

“I will not let you down,” he promised MPs.