Damp Squib

On occasion, one might be forgiven for thinking that the chatterati get themselves worked up just for the sake of it. Between yesterday evening and this afternoon there has been a superb example of this, and it had to do with the House of Commons and its Speaker.

Now that we have a new Parliament, and a new Government, there has to be either a new Speaker, or confirmation of the incumbent in post. But John Bercow is not universally liked, the awkward squad consisting of a small number of MPs such as – yes, it’s her again – Tory member for Mid Bedfordshire Nadine Dorries.

La Dorries sent all her fellow MPs an email late yesterday urging them to say “no” on the vote to confirm Bercow in post. However, Young Dave, many of whose chaps were previously sceptical about the current Speaker, urged acceptance. So when Sir Peter Tapsell, Father of the House (he worked for Anthony Eden once upon a time) called the vote, and very few said “no”, he concluded that the “ayes” had it, and that was that.

So it seems that La Dorries has wasted everyone’s time in pursuit of this particular pet hate. Her idea of putting forward alternatives such as veteran Lib Dem Ming Campbell didn’t gain much traction, perhaps because none of the 200 plus new MPs knew him.

But it kept someone busy for a day or so.