Race to be Speaker: As-it-happened
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This event is now over, but you can see how it happened below.
By Ian Dunt and Alex Stevenson
09:00 – Well, good morning, and welcome to what is set to be a fascinating day in parliament. MPs are travelling from all over the country (at the taxpayers’ expense, of course) to Westminster for the day’s parliamentary business, which is devoted to just one thing: ‘election of the Speaker’. The Commons won’t start its sitting until 14:30 this afternoon, but of course it might be before then that the likely winner begins to emerge. We’ll keep you posted.
09:44 – It’s declaring candidacy time, and has been for the last 15 minutes or so. Candidates have until 10:30 to submit their nomination forms, with shiny signatures by 12 to 15 MPs, to the Commons authorities. Shortly after that we’ll know the final list – making sure there aren’t any shock late entries to the race to shake things up. If this is slightly baffling to you, have no fear. Our guide to how to become Speaker should help.
10:15 – The scramble to get those nominations is something of a challenge; will all ten candidates be able to get the signatures they need? Just 15 minutes to go now until nominations close…
11:09 – The final list is in. Here it is: Margaret Beckett, Sir Alan Beith, John Bercow, Sir Patrick Cormack, Mr Parmjit Dhanda, Sir Alan Haselhurst, Sir Michael Lord, Mr Richard Shepherd, Miss Ann Widdecombe and Sir George Young.
11:35 – So, no surprises in the nominations progress. The runners and riders are into their boxes; now there’s just the small matter of three hours’ wait until the fun begins. Downing Street has revealed Gordon Brown will be in the Commons throughout the process. He faced a tough choice; traditionally the prime minister has abstained from the final vote, but then traditionally MPs voted in the usual way by splitting into the two division lobbies. Things have changed since then – this is the first time the Speaker will be chosen by secret ballot. No reason for the prime minister not to vote, therefore, but Brown has opted to abstain nonetheless.
11:45 – Here’s some more info about what will happen when the debate begins. Firstly the Father of the House, Alan Williams, will call on the prime minister to speak. Brown will inform the Commons that the Queen has given leave for the election of a Speaker. That kicks off the short speeches by each candidate, which will take about half an hour, before the voting begins at three. Then after we have our winner the PM will make a short congratulatory speech, before he and David Cameron lead the procession to the House of Lords. It’s going to be a blast.
12:10 – politics.co.uk was passing through the chamber of the House of Commons, as you do, a few minutes ago. There was little to suggest the place will be the centre of attention in just a few hours’ time: hordes of well-scrubbed children being told fascinating facts was the order of the day.
12:44 – The ballot for who gets to speak first is taking place now, we believe. Candidates will have five to ten minutes for each speech, not the unlimited period of time as had been reported from some sources. That’s why they’re allowing two hours for the initial round of speeches – and a full hour-and-a-half to count the first round of voting, politics.co.uk understands. The general expectation is someone should be able to secure a majority by the third round of voting – possibly around 20:30 this evening – but let’s not forget events, dear boy, events. and accept that we might be here even later.
13:00 – The open nature of the race is keeping the campaigns of those who might not otherwise be in the running upbeat. Widdecombe and Beith are being pointed to as those in the second-tier, behind the favourites Beckett, Bercow and Young, who are far from out of it. The hope is that support might coalesce around one of these if it looks like there’s not a real challenger to our more unpopular top candidates (read Bercow and Beckett) elsewhere on the ballot paper.
13:05 – And we can now bring you the order in which the candidates will make their speeches, if this sort of thing excites you. It’s as follows:
Margaret Beckett
Sir George Young
Ann Widdecombe
Sir Alan Beith
John Bercow
Richard Shepherd
Sir Michael Lord
Sir Patrick Cormack
Sir Alan Haselhurst
Parmjit Dhanda
Interesting that the main contenders are bunched together in the first half, while the second half is filled with less credible candidates. Who will this benefit? Will anyone be listening by the time Parmjit gets up to speak? Or could a brilliant closing performance win him a few extra votes? Meanwhile, to clarify: the convention is five to ten minutes, although the rules allow them to continue beyond that. We shall see who sticks to the unwritten rules.
13:18 – One factor we haven’t considered so far is how many candidates will stand down of their own accord. There’s no expectation that there will be many voluntary withdrawals after the first round of voting. But if, after the second round, there are still some hangers-on who are distracting from a clear-cut two-way fight at the top, we shouldn’t be surprised if up to three or four pull out gracefully. That could help clarify things; and a well-made indication of support could turn those quitting into kingmakers.
14:07 – Michael Martin has now formally stepped down as an MP. He’s been made Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead. Not as seminal as it sounds, really – the title is a procedural device which enables MPs to resign between elections. We’ve now the Glasgow North East by-election to deal with. At the 2005 election, Martin held the seat with a 10,134 majority over the Scottish National Party.
14:31 – Hustings have begun. First up is Beckett. “I do not have any problem with electing those to chair select committee”, but she wants opinion to be taken among members of the select committees themselves. One wonders what the point of that would really be. She says she has nothing against most of the reforms discussed over the last few years. The Speaker can;t drive the House, but they shouldn’t be an obstacle.
14:33 – The public has lost confidence in us, she admits. This is a problem that has to be addressed by the House as a whole. I’m finding this remarkably uninspiring, but MPs are made of different stuff to journalists. Perhaps they’re fascinated. She admits that when Martin got in she thought it was time for the Tories to have a Speaker – but she was wrong, she says. A historian told her that the Speaker is usually a member of the majority party, apart from in Betty Boothroyd’s case.
14:36 – “I have always been my own woman,” she informs the House. She again reiterates her experience, which is almost a good thing in this election – but not quite. “We come here, as we all do, to serve their interests [the public] rather than our own.” She sits, looking as nervous as she did throughout. A strange and unexpected attribute for her.
14:38 – Sir George Young stands up and does a very efficient job of amusing the House. He notes that as chairman of the standards committee he’s in an unenviable position trying to secure the backing of his colleagues. He wants the House to move quicker, and become more relevant. Time in the chamber could be built around the times of the select committees rather than the other way round. Their reports should be made in the House, just like government statements. “To some of these ideas, terms and conditions apply”.
14:41 – “Last year there was a run on the banks. This year there was a run on the Commons.” Both cases shared certain qualities, he argues – systemic failure, individuals being disgraceful, etc. “We have recapitalised the banks. We now need to recapitalise the Commons.” And down he sits, basking in the sheer amount of ‘well-likedness’ he has in the House. And up gets Widdecombe.
14:43 – She’s making a big deal of her status as an interim speaker (she stands down at the next election). “We need in these extraordinary circumstances somebody who is proven capable of connecting with the general public, who the public knows, who the public by and large trusts.” She says she fits this bill “by rather vulgar means”. Warm laughs. “I put myself before you as the rather vulgar tribune, and I’ve been meaning to say that to the benches opposite for a long time.” She wants the Speaker to be more visible outside the House. She thinks it’s crucial to rebalance power (with the will of the House) from the executive to the backbenches.
14:46 – Packed Commons by the way. Much more impressive turnout than for the hustings. She jokes at Jack Straw expense, saying he used to do sit-ins in his youth, while she turned to them in middle age, over the tabling of bills. “Out there, as in here, we are being governed by increasing tranches of legislation which have never been debated in parliament”. Whoever is Speaker also needs to bear in mind that no matter how much we tighten the system we should always have a core principle that people of modest means should not be deterred from entering this House. If we fail that, we fail democracy, she says, in a rather impassioned and convincing section.
14:50 – And up gets Sir Alan Beith, the Liberal Democrat. “Today’s decision is unusually important,” he notes. It can’t be business as usual. He is less than engaging, and rather appears as business as usual, even if the content of his words don’t equate to that. He concentrates on bill timetabling as well. Select committee should become stronger and more independent. PMQs should be rebalanced in favour of backbenchers. He wants the House to be restructured in a less aggressive style, which currently puts off many women and some men.
14:54 – And John Bercow. He asked a colleague if he would back him today. “Certainly not came the reply. “You’re far too young. The Speaker ought to be virtually senile.” He does it with a real accent. It’s a genuine impersonation in the House of Commons. This is modernisation for you. He’s remarkably animated. Right behind him, Widdecombe has her hands wrapped around each other like a teenage girl.
14:57 – “I do not want to be someone. I want to do something. I want to implement an agenda for reform, for revitalisation, and for the reassertion of the core value of this great institution.” Occasionally a Tory frontbencher peers back at him like he’s some sort of ugly mutant upstart. Their hatred is really quite evident. Bercow says he has three reasons to offer himself as Speaker, and mentions that he has MPs from six parties supporting him. First, he want radical reform to allowances, but with respect and reverence to parliament itself. Widdecombe is now exhibiting exasperation. He wants backbenchers to have a bigger role, and would seek to rebuild the authority of parliament. “This House must regain control of its own core functions.”
15:01 – “The Speaker must always be neutral within this chamber, but not about this chamber.” he seems particularly pleased by that one. The third thing, incidentally, is to increase the public status of parliament by getting out and about. He makes a sly joke about his political journey from right to left. He has always been passionate about parliament, he continues. One struggles to imagine him saying the opposite. “I know it’s a tall order, and I’m only a little chap. But I believe I can rise to the occasion.”
15:03 – Richard Shepherd stands to speak. He looks very elderly, it must be said. He’s wanted this House to “represent the very best of our nation, but what I’ve found is that we’re so disconnected from the public” that MPs failed on the first issue of public trust – public money. He launches an impassioned defence of Freedom of Information as “our salvation”. This is a moment, not for rhetoric, but for action, he continues. This is a moment for what this House can be, not what it has become. “The government is the government, the executive rules by royal prerogative. We however come here with a simple mandate, that we will question the government. We no longer have any rights as private members, except for private members bills, to initiate anything in this House. That’s what we’ve given away and that’s what we must reclaim.” It’s a brilliant, brilliant speech from this elderly old Tory. Really wonderful and frank stuff. If he wins, he will stand down at the next election and fight an ordinary election so he knows he has the confidence of the House, he adds at the end.
15:08 – Sir Michael Lord says this will be the most important speech he makes in his entire life. Strength and experience and enthusiasm – those are the qualities needed by the next Speaker. He has never enjoyed being called a politician, but is proud to be a member of parliament. The reputation of the Commons is at stake, he goes on. It’s remarkable how similar their suggestions and their rhetoric is. Nobody believes members of parliament came to this House to make money. That’s evidence of a disconnect with the public if I’ve ever heard one. Actually, that’s exactly what they believe. He wants major statements outside the House scrapped. There’s nothing more irritating than hearing the announcements made before the chamber has the chance to hear the statement and question the minister concerned.
15:04 – He makes a big deal of not canvassing in this election. “If it proves a handicap then so be it.” He urges MPs not to vote on party lines, or get back at “him or her”. They must vote on the basis of who is best. And with that he sits. And up gets Sir Patrick Cormack. He reiterates his deep love for the institution of parliament, as they all have. He brings up Sir Thomas Moore, the only member of parliament to be canonised. “Before I get too pious I should remind you it’s on this day that Machiavelli died.”
15:21 – He wants to get tough on those who “spill the beans” before they get to the dispatch box. Boisterous and a definite presence, he tuns one way, then the other, with a gruff confidence, as he booms his voice across the room. As for the content, it’s much the same as everyone else’s. “I know what backbenchers need from that chair.”
15:24 – One upon a time, members used to check the papers to see if their speech was reported. Now they check to see if their expenses are on the front page. He wants the House to stand for freedom and rights. And with that Sir Alan Haselhurst, the deputy Speaker, stands. The media expectation for the next Speaker has become more unrealistic by the day, he says. He’s never seen himself as part of the establishment. He looks it, though. Change will come whoever is chosen, but it’s the style of the Speaker that will be important. The House “has seen me in action”, he says. He wants more brevity, especially from the front benches. That gets a lot of support.
15:27 – He, along with everyone else, wants to business committee fixed up to give the House control over its agenda. Select committee chairman should be selected by the House. We could copy the example of the finance bill, and let the opposition party to select those parts of the bill to be scrutinised in the House rather than in committee. On allowances: “I appreciate the hurt that many honourable members feel.” He wants allowances and salary to be integrated. The Speaker need to stand up for the House. His aim is to “help this House to up its game”. Must admit I’m starting to get reform lethargy now. The House is still the cradle of our democracy, he says. Today must show a determination to renew the House’s reputation.
15:31 – And it’s Parmjit Dhanda, our final candidate. “Anyone of the ten of us is capable of doing the job of Speaker. But I ask myself: Do we all actually get it?” He doesn’t think MPs understand how angry the public is. He then brings up the BNP wins at the European election. “What they’re telling us is they’re disengaged with us. They think we are remote and distant from them as well,” he says about he public. The safe thing to do is retreat to a “safe pair of hands, an establishment candidate”. Are these knights of the realm in touch? Do they speak for modern Britain? He’s confident and calm, but he’s not raising the roof, and he’ll need to to pull a surprise out the hat.
15:35 – He wants some debates to take place in other parts of the country. At the current rate of change the House won’t be representative of Britain for another 100 years. The Speaker has to be more representative. How can the House still be talking about having a creche they can pay for? This needs to be implemented within 12 months. “We will be stronger, more respected as politicians, if we move the pendulum of power back to local communities.” And then: “I want people to aspire to be here. If we’re not brave enough to make changes here, then where? If not now, then when? The rest is up to you.” And that’s it. The House gives a cheer to all the candidates. The ballot will be opening up now, for about half an hour. It will take about an hour for results. As we’ve already mentioned, it’s all unprecedented mechanisms right now, so we can’t give you a good idea of time. MPs are setting off to vote though.
15:47 – It was striking how many backbenchers have been saying they would not make up their minds until the speeches; and based on that, it seems Ma Beckett’s chances will have diminished significantly. She struggled going up first and her slow, sonorous grandeur clashed awkwardly with the more competent performances which followed.
16:21 – And that’s it, voting is over (for the first round at least). As is usually the case during Commons votes, the members’ lobby is closed to journalists. Both in there and in the corridors around the chamber MPs are packed in secretive groups, engaged in excited speculation and plotting. We’ve been told repeatedly that MPs are expected to vote with their hearts the first time round, then begin thinking about tactics thereafter. From the looks of things that holds true – but it helps to be prepared, doesn’t it? There’s a lot of support registering for Parmjit Dhanda, more than might be expected, but his speech was drowned by bored MPs as he was up last.
16:30 – Some TV screens around the Palace of Westminster are showing nothing but the clock in the Commons – rather unusual. It’s like the entire place has turned into a game show venue – some elaborate form of Countdown perhaps – but reflects the atmosphere of urgency around the place.
16:38 – Sky News are reporting that Labour MP John Mann tore up his ballot paper in protest at the candidates on offer. “A lot of these candidates don’t get it at all,” he told the broadcaster.
16:54 – It’s quietened down now, with just a few MPs milling around. Most have gone back to their offices as the votes are counted, apart from the few (see below) who want to make their views heard. Of the candidates, only one was on show: Ann Widdecombe on the phone in the members’ lobby, giving her high-pitched advice. Not long to go now anyway until we get those all-important first results.
17:03 – Just a few minutes away from the suspended Commons sitting resuming for the results of the first round. This is the first indication we’ll get about the current state of play – which of the pre-voting favourites are still in with a chance, and which aren’t.
17:08 – The results are coming in. Sir George Young has done surprisingly well. “One ballot was spoiled,” the father of the House announces, to roars of laughter – aimed obviously at John Mann. Sir Michael Lord received the fewest votes. Three of the candidates received less than five per cent – Parmjit Dhanda, Sir Patrick Cormack andRichard Shepherd. So all four of them are out the competition. The clear front runner is John Bercow.
17:11 – We have four eliminations (this is a little bit like reality TV, isn’t it?) but MPs can still rule themselves out the race now if they wish. Now there’s a half hour break until the ballot opens again. Then presumably another half hour of voting, and another hour of counting. The race to be Speaker: less entertaining than reality TV, more important, and with a far more damaging effect on my social life.
17:20 – Bercow is now even money favourite with William Hill to win the race. The firm is offering 6/5 George Young, 8/1 Margaret Beckett, 20/1 Alan Haselhurst, 33/1 Alan Beith and 33/1 Ann Widdecombe. “Mr Bercow is in pole position and it appears to be his race to lose” said spokesman Graham Sharpe.
17:24 – Just to confirm, the final results for the first round were:
John Bercow – 179
Sir George Young – 112
Margaret Beckett – 74
Sir Alan Haselhurst – 66
Sir Alan Beith – 55
Ann Widdecombe – 44
Parmjit Dhanda – 26 (eliminated)
Richard Shepherd – 15 (eliminated)
Sir Patrick Cormack – 13 (eliminated)
Sir Michael Lord – 9 (eliminated)
17:26 – There’s going to be about 20 minutes while they print off the ballot papers for the second round – MPs groaned as they heard this news. So we can expect the next half-hour voting period to begin in just over ten minutes or so now. Then there’s another hour after that to count them all… ye Gods, this is going to take a while.
17:29 – Not many people noticed it, but the Commons chamber has a fantastic digital clock halfway along. It counted down second by second the time candidates had to withdraw from the race; none of them did this time around, but we should expect some humiliating exits after the next round.
17:32 – The scene in the Commons is somewhat brazen. Little groups clustered around notepads with the figures on them, calculating hard. Cheryl Gillan gives Sir Michael Lord a sympathetic wrinkle of the nose as he troops out, rather dejected (after all, more people nominated him than voted for him). Martin Salter saunters over to the opposition benches, giving John Bercow a come-hither look. Brows are furrowed as the speculation continues. Where will the votes go?
17:36 – And they’re off – voting for the second round gets underway.
17:45 – We can’t help but engage in a bit of speculation ourselves. Bercow needed another 60-odd votes to get over the line. There are 63 eliminated votes up for grabs. Assuming Ma Beckett is well and truly out of the running, which can only be confirmed after this next round, we face a straight choice between Young and Bercow. Parmjit’s votes will probably go Bercow’s way – but the eliminated Tories are all likely to plump for Young. The result of the next round, therefore, will probably be a two-horse race emerging – but with a likely winner now clear. Beckett’s support may collapse and her votes will probably head to Bercow. Beith’s liberal supporters will surely go the same way. It may only go to two rounds after all.
18:47 – The result is due at 18:55, when the Commons will resume its sitting for the results of the second vote. Clearly the counters are getting more efficient. That’s just 49 minutes counting time. Maybe everyone lost interest this time round?
18:54 – The Commons is packed. Results should be coming in anytime now. Here we go: 599 ballots cast. Becket is on 70, Beith has 46, Bercow is on 221, Haselhurst got 57, Widdecombe only received 30, and Young is on 174. One ballot was spoilt – more laughter. “Well at least one of you has been consistent,” the father of the House jokes. Widdicombe is out, having come last. No-one is over 50 per cent. The father of the House asks – “I almost beg” – for any further candidates to give up. So we’re in for a third ballot. This is now a two horse race between Sir George Young and John Bercow.
19:01 – This just in: Sir Alan Beith has withdrawn.
19:07 – In a shock development, it looks like every other candidate has dropped out except for Sir John and Bercow. It’s now officially a two horse race. MPs are voting as we speak.
19:17 – There is nothing more humiliating than withdrawing, which is what three candidates just did. Sir Alan Beith was the first to make the fateful move. Williams was truly fatherly in response, squeezing his arm in sympathy at the exit. He had less time with Ma Beckett, who was rather more curt and formal in her delivery. And then came Sir Alan Haslehurst, with barely a minute of his ten minutes to go. Like all the others he crept up from behind the Speaker’s chair and uttered the fateful words. He got some sympathy, pats on the back and the like, from a group of faithful Tories gathered around. Widdecombe just sat there, looking defiant, as news of her defeat sunk in.
19:20 – The bells have rung, meaning the final ballot paper has been printed and Mps have until 19:38 to go vote for what must surely be the final time. We could be all wrapped up here by 20:30.
19:30 – The rules state that of the 15 nominations each candidate collects for the Speakership, at least three must be from opposition parties. It’s just as well there’s no similar rule about support from his own party as just one Tory – Charles Walker – nominated him. Is the Commons about to choose a Speaker who doesn’t command support from across the House?
19:40 – Third-round voting has come to an end! It won’t take as long as before to add up the results, unless it’s close of course. So we can expect the result by 20:15. To keep you occupied until then, here’s another way of looking at the second round votes. It’s quite telling about where the momentum lies.
Sir George Young – UP 62 (174 votes)
John Bercow – UP 42 (221)
Margaret Beckett – DOWN 4 (70, withdrew)
Sir Alan Haselhurst – DOWN 9 (57, withdrew)
Sir Alan Beith – DOWN 9 (46, withdrew)
Ann Widdecombe – DOWN 14 (30, eliminated)
20:22 – We’re expecting the results to come in just a few minutes now. General impression is this is a very, very tough one to call. Most MPs think there could only be a few votes in it, but surely Bercow remains the favourite.
20:29 – The chamber is packed. The father of the House stands. Bercow: 322 Young 271. John Bercow is the next Speaker of the House of Commons. Applause fills the chamber. He breathes out – appearing relieved and nervous. As tradition demands, there is a vote for whether he should taker over, which receives an enthusiastic yes. Then he is dragged (tradition again) to the chair.
20:32 – He gets ready to make his speech. “It’s been a very long day,” he starts. He thanks and pays tribute to all the candidates who stood in the election. “It has been a constructive debate that we have enjoyed. I confess that I have the highest regard for all of the other candidates.” He describes the victory as the “greatest honour” of his professional life.
20:36 – He remind the House that the Speaker must cast aside all previous political views. “I said it and I meant it. I will do my best, faithfully, honourably and effectively to serve this House in the period ahead.” He appears for a moment to become almost angry. I must say, with my political journalist hat firmly on, that he will make a highly entertaining Speaker. There is something rather disarming about him, and I don’t necessarily mean that in a good way. He gives way to the prime minister.
20:38 – Gordon Brown gets up to welcome him to the post. He pays tribute to the new Speaker and all the candidates who stood in the contest. “All of us in this House know you bring deep personal strengths and honesty”. He runs through Bercow’s career achievements. He mentions that Bercow bothered to say he would cast aside all previous political views, and that “some of us thought you had done that long, long ago.” That line earns loud and long-lasting laughs. “Today we have the opportunity to begin a new chapter with a new Speaker.”
20:42 – David Cameron gets up to speak, and mentions – like Brown – that the Speaker ‘elect’ must still get the approval of the monarch. “You should know that in discharging your responsibilities you have the support of these benches.” Cameron says he’s read a lot about their relationship but no-one mentions that they were tennis partners. He also notes that he is the first Speaker of “the Jewish faith”. On the casting off of political views: “Lets hope that includes all of them.” More laughter. And Cameron turns serious. “Your success will allow all of us to succeed.”
20:45 – Nick Clegg stands, welcomes him, and thanks the father of the House for the voting, although he hopes the next round will take place “with a less dignified speed” – faster, basically. “You must be different from every Speaker who came before you. We urge you to become the catalyst of change.” And then: “You will be at the centre of an institution that you want to challenge. You have a mandate for change. From the people of Britain whose legitimate anger made this election happen.”
20:59 – And with that, we;re going to wrap up our coverage on politics.co.uk. There are still a few constitutional matters to take care of concerning the approval of the monarch, but they are mere formalities. We’ll see you on Wednesday, for the first prime minister’s questions with the new Speaker.
