Bercow camp fears Beckett threat
Friday, 19 June 2009 10:00 AM
By Alex Stevenson
Former foreign secretary Margaret Beckett is emerging as the main threat to favourite John Bercow in the race to be Speaker.
Following outgoing Speaker Michael Martin's valedictory on Wednesday, which saw Labour MPs applaud enthusiastically and a group of Tory MPs refuse to participate, the tribalism normally associated with party politics is becoming clearer and clearer by the day.
The race is supposed to be impartial of party politics but Ms Beckett's candidacy is leading many of those on the government backbenches to break the precedent of switching between Labour and Conservative Speakers.
Mr Bercow is unpopular among his own party and is relying on the votes of Labour MPs to win Monday's secret ballot.
Some Tory MPs, enraged by the thought Mr Bercow could be dragged to the chair against their will, are coalescing around Ms Beckett as the most credible 'stop Bercow' candidate.
Her late entry to the race and impressive performance in hustings events has led many Labour MPs to reconsider their Bercow vote, one supporter for the latter told politics.co.uk.
Others expected to perform well in initial voting include Sir George Young, who is well-respected on all sides of the House, and Liberal Democrat candidate Sir Alan Beith.
Sir Alan's supporters are hoping the election process may help them. Under the secret ballot system MPs vote repeatedly, knocking out candidates one at a time and any who get less than five per cent, until the winner achieves an overall majority.
If Ms Beckett underperforms in early rounds Sir Alan's backers hope he will emerge as a credible alternative candidate for those Tories concerned about a Bercow victory.
The election takes place on Monday in the first ever secret ballot in parliament's history. This process of voting is unlike any of the other means by which the House decides matters.
Full list of contenders to be the next House of Commons Speaker:
Margaret Beckett
Sir Alan Beith
John Bercow
Sir Patrick Cormack
Parmjit Dhanda
Sir Alan Haselhurst
Sir Michael Lord
Richard Shepherd
Ann Widdecombe
Sir George Young
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