Rod Sleeves
New Member
Widders. Esepcially as she is retiring at the next election, it would be a nice little retirement present for her.
Who do you want to be the next speaker of the House of Commons?
- Thread starter skyscraper101
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JHE
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I think if she manages to become Speaker she'll change her plans about retiring. She's not, as far as I know, standing just to be an interim Speaker.
untethered
For industry & decency
It has all the attractiveness of offering to take a six-month contract in an interview for a permanent position.
JHE
.
Oh, well - she's now been knocked out of the contest.
agricola
a genuine importer of owls
If Bercow wins, its yet another piece of evidence that this has been the worst Parliament in recent memory, led of course by the worst majority party in recent memory. Its now a two-horse race between him and Sir George Young (who lost out to Gorbals Mick last time) since Beckett, Beith and Haslehurst have gone.
The days highlight has been, of course, Betty Boothroyd's commentary on the BBC Parliament channel.
The days highlight has been, of course, Betty Boothroyd's commentary on the BBC Parliament channel.
Azrael
circling Airstrip One
Would have liked Miss Widdecombe to win, but looks like I'll have see how Mr Bercow does. Miss Widdecombe has natural authority and her pledge to be an "interim speaker" was exactly what the Commons needed. Of course it was too bold a move for that wretched chamber to consider.
agricola
a genuine importer of owls
Thats who it should have been, IMHO - but the fact that only fifteen of his colleagues thought that someone with such libertarian leanings was worth voting for says much. He also made by far the best points during his speech in the chamber, albeit delivered in a rather timid manner.
Shepherd would have been a great speaker. Young would have been a tolerable one. Bercow will be awful.
JHE
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Apparently, Bercow made it plain that he believes MPs salaries should be about £100k and should be tied to the income of GPs. I think that may have gained him some votes - though I suppose other candidates may have made similar noises.
An overpaid acquaintance of mine (paraphrased):
The problem, you see, is that MPs have not been paid 'properly'. Give them more. Then they'll be less keen to play silly buggers with their various expenses.
Everyone who I have read or heard taking that sort of line has been very well-off, while all the people I've come across who have been spitting with rage about the troughing have been either modestly paid or worse.
ericjarvis
give a feck for the feckless
Bugger! Not Keith Harris and Orville (Ind) then. I'm slightly disappointed.
weltweit
Well-Known Member
Seems odd to choose Bercow now as he has been accused of house flipping to avoid CGT and when asked if he paid Capital Gains Tax on the sale of his house apparently replied "I can't remember!".
Well that should really qualify him rather than speaker Martin for the role, I think not!
Well that should really qualify him rather than speaker Martin for the role, I think not!
That's precisely why they voted for him. They didn't want a clean candidate that didn't sympathise with those tarnished by the recent scandals, but one of their own who in covering his own back will cover those of the rest of them.
Widdecombe was simply far too dangerous a proposition, especially given her stated short shelf life meaning she wouldn't need to act like she wanted to keep the job for very long.
Widdecombe was simply far too dangerous a proposition, especially given her stated short shelf life meaning she wouldn't need to act like she wanted to keep the job for very long.
untethered
For industry & decency
It seems that Speaker Bercow has dispensed with the frilly collar.
This is the kind of "modernisation" we could do without. He looks like an American judge.
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
It seems that Speaker Bercow has dispensed with the frilly collar.
This is the kind of "modernisation" we could do without. He looks like an American judge.
Rubbish.
He looks far more like one of those vaguely sinister American "TV Evangelists" asking the gullible to send him money!
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
Which is why I chose Bercow. They hate him even more than Labour does.
he was former committee secretary of the Monday Clubs study group on Immigration and Repatriation, then later turned on them them presumably when he saw which way the wind was blowing
so he's made a few enemies on the way
Azrael
circling Airstrip One
Which is like catching a thief nicking your Passat, and giving him an Aston Martin so he's not tempted to do it again.
Anyone suggesting that MPs' money grubbing be rewarded needs to ask themselves what MPs actually do. Many spend a lot of time as unofficial social workers. This isn't their job, and is an indictment of our social services. MPs are supposed to debate and vote on laws, and hold the government to account. Nothing more. MPs used to hold down professional jobs like barrister or doctor. Sitting in the Commons isn't a profession in itself; it's a public service. Time we remembered that.
JHE
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MPs acting as glorified social workers is useful not only to (some of) the people who go to ask for their help, but also in keeping the MPs in touch with the problems of their constituents. Without their 'surgeries', MPs' contacts with constituents would be narrower and, in some cases (including in the cases of some Labour MPs), limited to talking to other well-off people, with well-off people's concerns, opinions and attitudes.
It's good that, in order to stand a chance of getting re-elected, MPs have to listen to the hoi polloi.
untethered
For industry & decency
I doubt it's a significant factor. The number of people approaching their MP for social assistance must be tiny compared to the overall electorate. Of that number, a large proportion probably don't vote and another chunk will simply oppose their MP's politics.
MPs should keep in touch with their electorates but I can think of many better ways to do it than be a letter-forwarding service on behalf of the local council, the NHS and various ombudsmen.
untethered
For industry & decency
I think it's fair enough just as long as I can get a home visit from my MP in the middle of the night.
gosub
~#
tbf If your GP had 70,000 people on his books, they are either on the fiddle or in need of medical assistance
Azrael
circling Airstrip One
Exactly. They might have worked hard to get into Parliament (or they might be well-connected placemen) but it doesn't compare. It isn't a profession in itself.
The flip-side is that they're distracted from holding the government to account and properly scrutinising the laws they pass. Of course, in our era of whipped parliaments, such scrutiny is redundant. Being a social worker allows the MP to feel useful.
Constituents will always have problems that are appropriate for MPs. In a recent case I have personal experience of, an asylum seeker fighting deportation. These keep them in touch with the world. Better still, if they didn't treat their membership of the Commons as a full-time job, they could have a, well, job, which would do far more to keep them grounded in reality.
I'd also compel MPs and ministers to ride on standard-class public transport. This would be most educational!
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