Ann Widdecombe, pictured, is emerging as one of the favourites to become the next Speaker of the House of Commons.

The MP, who wants to be an interim Speaker until retiring at the next general election, is among a crowded field of 11 candidates for the job.

But as the contest enters its final few days, bookmakers are continuing to make her one of the favourites to succeed the retiring Speaker, Michael Martin. Her closest rivals appear to be former foreign secretary Margaret Beckett, Sir George Young and John Bercow.

She will be able to count on the support of at least one fellow Kent MP when the vote takes place on Monday.

Faversham and Mid Kent MP Hugh Robertson has declared that he will be backing Ann in next week’s secret ballot.

He said: "She is my constituency neighbour and a close friend, and I happen to think she is exactly the type of person we need in this role at this time.

"The important thing about Ann is that she resonates with the public, which has sent us a very clear message that Parliament has to take on board the mess of the allowances."

The Maidstone MP joined fellow candidates for a hustings meeting at Westminster.

She said whoever took the role had to be known to the public, and that she had the "vulgar attributes" to help Parliament reconnect with the public.

She said the successful candidate needed to focus on two priorities before the next election.

She said: "With an election upon us, the question we have to ask is what do we do now. It is two things: restore the reputation of Parliament with the public and get the balance between Parliament and the executive right so the next government does not catch the same disease of the government that went before it."

She said there was nothing in her own allowances claims that would compromise her in the role, adding: "It is important Parliament has got its house in order and we should all be able to say that of ourselves."

Commenting on the arrest of fellow Kent MP Damian Green, she said the decision to allow police to search the Westminster office was wrong: "If the Speaker had done the right thing on Damian Green, it simply would not have happened." The election for the Speaker’s job will take place on Monday, with MPs having a private ballot after a debate in the House of Commons.