Live blog: The Race for the Speaker's job
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The Speaker's Race:
UP-DATED
7pm: IT'S ALL OVER FOR ANN - SHE COMES BOTTOM IN THE
SECOND ROUND OF VOTES WITH 30 MPS SUPPORTING HER.
John Bercow tops the poll again. My money is on Sir
George Young. he made the best speech in the House today. Bit of a
traditionalist maybe?
5.30pm: Ann Widdecombe polls 44 votes in the first
round. But it's John Bercow who topped the list with 179,followed
by Margaret Beckett with 174. Ann is standing again in the second
round but will need to pick up quite a sizeable chunk of support
from the four candidates who have had to drop out. This is where it
gets tricky - the Conservatives don't like Bercow.
Not sure when we'll get the next round's
result.
3.55pm: All the candidates have now finished
speaking and MPs off to vote. Apparently, this might take 90
minutes so I am going to post when we have the first result
through.
2.50pm: Ann has just sat down after a well-received and
measured speech in which she spoke about the need for the new
Speaker to restore the reputation of Parliament.
She got a couple of good laughs, too - once when she
spoke about working with Dennis Skinner - the Beast of Bolsover -
to assert the rights of backbenches against the
executive.
One of the most interesting comments was: "Whoever is
Speaker will not only have to clean up the mess but will in doing
so have to bear in mind that however much we tighten the system and
come down on those who have erred, we should always put it as a
core principle that people of modest means should not be deterred
from entering the House. " That was a reference to her view that
MPs need a decent level of allowances to do their job. A clever
ploy - a lot of appreciative murmurs from MPs at that.
Before Ann we had a pretty poor speech in my view from
Margaret Beckett and a very good one from Sir George Young - who I
think could now be among the favourites.
Now we wait for the first vote. Probably about
3.45pm
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
We're not quite under starter's orders for the Speaker's vote
but it's getting close. The debate starts at
2.30pm and each candidate will get five minutes to
make their pitch to fellow MPs in the House of Commons.
Ann Widdecombe is speaking third - the
candidates' slots were drawn out of a hat - which is not perfect
but I'm sure she's not bothered. Will it be her day? I nearly put a
bet on her at lunchtime at 10-1 which struck me as pretty decent
odds.
It could be a long afternoon. The victor has to get an outright
majority and candidates will drop out if they are bottom at the end
of each round.
Omens? Over at Wimbledon, Brit Laura Robson is putting up a
decent show against Hantchukova in the first round. Laura is
left-handed. Is Ann?
Monday, June 22 2009
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