8 Comments

• Peter1919 22nd Jun '09 - 8:43pm

  Well that wasn’t as close as most seemed to be predicting

• Cogload 22nd Jun '09 - 9:03pm

  nice speech by Cleggas well. Congrats to the 157th Speaker of the HoC.

• rantersparadise 22nd Jun '09 - 9:46pm

  I agree, good Clegg speech.

• Cogload 22nd Jun '09 - 9:53pm

  I will probabley get in the neck for this but I do like the tradition of the Royal Approbation.

• Robson 22nd Jun '09 - 10:10pm

  It was a bit of a boring Clegg speech, actually – I got the feeling he hadn’t voted for him! Also this was my first approbation and I have to say I enjoy the spectacle too!

• mark 23rd Jun '09 - 10:32am

  Does anyone else feel that the Nadine Dorries / Tory whining has started a bit soon? I know little about Bercow, but surely anyone deserves a chance, at least a few months in a job, before people start their moaning.

  Worse still, the moaning and bitching paints an awful impression of the Commons to the public at a time when the public already hate politicians.

• Mike 23rd Jun '09 - 3:22pm

  Mark – the complaining didn`t start too early. Ber-cow has been one of the biggest expense claimers (hardly then a reformer), he is vain and he has no loyalty. Other than that he is a great bloke!

• Simon 24th Jun '09 - 4:35am

  So the man with few principles or deeply held convictions was elected. The man who changed his core beliefs and politics to suit his ambitions. How can someone change from being ultra right wing to ultra liberal ‘leftie’ overnight? What he calls his moment of ‘enlightenment’ Did he have Damascus Road experience? I don’t think so, more like the minute he realised he would have to court New Labour and Lib Dems.MPs favour, to achieve his ambitions of becoming Speaker of the House. It is then he must of decided to do whatever it took to achieve his goal. Even if it meant being disloyal to his own party and it’s leaders and ‘greasing up’ to the opposition at every opportunity. In other words he was prepared to sell his soul for the ‘pot of gold’ he yearned for. Close observers of John Bercow knew this; especially his Tory colleagues. No wonder they had such solemn faces when the result was announced. Only when prompted by David Cameron did a few Tory MPs give a slow and weak hand-clap, the rest decided to keep their arms crossed or hands firmly on their laps. One Tory MP shouted, ‘Not in my name!’ As the labour benches enjoyed their moment of childish spite with their smiling faces knowing they had left their final lasting legacy, by achieving something with their bloc vote that would hurt David Cameron and the Conservative Party when they get into power, long after New Labour sinks beneath the waves; in their rotten and stinking ship.

  Knowing John Bercow’s liberal views on abortion and hearing about his ridiculous amendment that he tabled for the third reading of the Embryology Bill ( which wasn’t heard in the end) reflected his new ultra liberal views on moral issues. I therefore fear for the unborn children in the UK when the emotive issue is next debated in the House. I and many others will be watching for his promised fairness and impartiality on such issues. How will he stop himself from ridiculing people who disagree with him? Will he continue to use his old basic method of shutting down the debate, by personally attacking his opponents to undermine them and perhaps try and get a cheap laugh at their expense? A method used frequently by liberals when they are losing the argument. I and many others will be watching him very closely on important debates on moral issues.