Comments on: Who are you supporting in the race for Commons Speaker?

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:48:53 +0000

Sorry to be pedantic, but Sir George Young isn’t a “knight of the realm”. He’s a baronet, so inherited his title. I heard the BBC make the same mistake last night too.

By: rantersparadise

rantersparadise — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:04:43 +0000

I feel like a school girl with a crush after seeing Parmjit’s speech!

Wow!

The ONLY speech that genuinely seem progressive, modern, exciting, relevant…part of the 21st century, not old boys network!!

If only!

By: Jennie

Jennie — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:42:24 +0000

I’ve got my Dhanda up

http://miss-s-b.dreamwidth.org/924108.html

By: Edis

Edis — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:55:32 +0000

Please Lord not Beckett… or we will be asking soon ‘who will rid us of this unturbulent placeholder’.

Berkow urrrrgh. And if he becomes Speaker he will last years and years, meaning that Tories in Buckingham constituency will be free to travel en masse to neighbouring marginal seats in a General Election… Like the Oxford seats or Northampton or Milton Keynes.

By: Peter Laubach

Peter Laubach — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:13:53 +0000

The Times has got it right. Anne Widdecombe would sort them out and stand no nonsense, but if she proves to be a step too far then she’ll be going within a year,so there can be a change of tone/direction after the GE.

By: Efrafan Days

Efrafan Days — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:52:35 +0000

Niklas, through gritted teeth I have to agree with the point in law which Mr Justice Eady referred to when denying Dc Horton his appeal. What could have occurred was a precedent which may have protected future Azad Ali’s from being named.

Yet, there was next to no public interest in naming him. I cannot recall what reasoning the Graun gave when ‘unmasking’ Paul Staines, but his blogging clearly hasn’t suffered (even a conviction from drink driving hasn’t done for them); and his blogging habits were clearly an extension of his professional career.

With the exception of Ali, it does all strike as “Ooo waah! I know who you are and I’m telling!”.

Back on topic, in decreasing order of preference:

[1] Auntie Anne;

[2] Ollie “Get Your Gun” Cromwell, to instill a sense of discipline and imbue blind terror back into Parliament.

[3] The Rest of the World;

[4] Margaret Beckett.

By: Alex Wilcock

Alex Wilcock — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:48:26 +0000

None of them exactly fill me with enthusiasm, but Richard Shepherd is probably the best of a bad bunch. I’d also consider Alan Beith, despite his knighthood, and possibly Parmjit Danda (who may mean it, or who may just be vacuous). I’ve written my own ‘runners and riders’ piece this morning, and while I’m heavily biased against knights, the one I’d vote for absolutely any of them to stop is Margaret Beckett (no surprise!), who would be utterly appalling in every way.

By: Matthew Huntbach

Matthew Huntbach — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:39:09 +0000

The election of Beckett would definitely be an indication that the current parliament just hasn’t got it. I’ve been reluctant to join in the MP-bashing over the expenses issue, but electing Beckett would be another thing which makes it harder to say “There’s only a few real bad’uns, people are getting a bit too worked up here”.

Bercow – I still think of him as the nasty right-winger he used to be, I hadn’t properly kept up with his apparent transition to a cuddly lefty Tory.

The problem with Beith is that he’s one of those people who is so fair and decent that put him in the Chair and I suspect he’ll be so anxious to show no bias to his former colleagues that he’ll end up bending over the other way. OK – so try and sell him to Labour and the Tories on that basis …

By: Lennon

Lennon — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:26:49 +0000

Alan Beith until he gets knocked out – then probably George Young. (Assuming at that stage its one of Young, Beckett, Bercow) – if not then anyone but Beckett or Bercow

By: Niklas Smith

Niklas Smith — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:23:11 +0000

@Efrafan Days: I didn’t know about that, but you are right. It’s so hypocritical that papers are obsessed with protecting the anonymity of their sources (including cabinet ministers briefing against each other) but seem to take a perverse pleasure in naming anonymous bloggers.

By: Caron

Caron — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:03:21 +0000

Anybody but Beckett.

If I had a vote, I’d go for Alan, but don’t expect he’ll win. Not sure Bercow will have the respect of the Tories in the future, even though he’d be an acceptable choice. I’d agree with Bernard that Young and Shepherd were the best of a mediocre bunch.

By: Efrafan Days

Efrafan Days — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:03:09 +0000

Niklas, was it not the Graun which outed ‘Guido Fawkes’?

By: Niklas Smith

Niklas Smith — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:59:31 +0000

Anyone but Beckett or Bercow. My personal inclination would be Beith as first preference and Sir George Young in the last round. I have to say the slate of candidates is rather underwhelming.

P.S. The Times no longer has the right to call itself a “quality/broadsheet” newspaper after outing NightJack. (Actually, they probably damned themselves a few years back when they outed Zoe Margolis.)

By: Lorna Spenceley

Lorna Spenceley — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:45:27 +0000

Anyone but Beckett!

By: Martin Land

Martin Land — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:40:53 +0000

Anyone but Beckett.

By: Efrafan Days

Efrafan Days — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:37:40 +0000

I must say, I have a soft spot for Anne Widdecombe. She’s on the the blessed Saints, and doesn’t pretend to be anything she’s not.

Plus, if any MP does finally become suicidal, as an ex-Samaritan, she could help.

By: Bernard Salmon

Bernard Salmon — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:26:12 +0000

Shepherd, Beith and Young are the three best candidates. Bercow would be acceptable, but the worst possible choice would be Beckett – a slavish Labour Party loyalist and someone who would be very unlikely to stand up for Parliament against the Executive.