I have very mixed feelings about John Bercow as Speaker of the House of Commons - he's quite forward-thinking in some ways, and it's obviously healthy to have someone in the role who is thoroughly loathed by David Cameron and most of the government front bench. But he does display a severe attitude problem sometimes, never more so than in this bizarre rant today directed at Liberal Democrat MP Greg Mulholland -
"Aw-dah, AW-DAH! The honourable gentleman will resume his seat. It's a DISCOURTESY to the House to be long-winded, especially when exhorted not to be. The honourable gentleman has got - AW-DAH! - don't argue the toss with the chair, Mr Mulholland, don't shake your head mate, I'm telling you what the position is, you were too long. Leave! That's fine! We can manage without you! Mr Peter Bone. AW-DAAAAAH! Mr Peter Bone. AW-DAAAAAH! Mr Mulholland, LEARN IT MAN, you were too long, and you NEED TO LEARN, and that's the end of it. Mr Peter Bone."
Hmmm. Heaven forbid that anyone should make that place seem less classy by clapping now and again. Bercow may feel that "we" can do without Mr Mulholland, but given that we live in a representative democracy in which everyone has just one MP, I'm not sure Mr Mulholland's constituents would agree with that sentiment. (Which, incidentally, is also the problem with the system of temporarily suspending MPs found guilty of wrongdoing - ultimately, that's a collective punishment against a whole constituency.)
I look forward to reading furious articles in the unionist press about Bercow addressing someone as "man" - that is, presumably, just as despicable a crime as Alex Salmond addressing Anna Soubry as "woman".
My feeling is that you don't get to become speaker unless you are owned by the 'powers that be'.
ReplyDeleteI would guess that recent previous speakers had financial irregularities that could be used as blackmail.
The British State had homosexuals in positions of power when that was able to be used as blackmail, then paedophiles were promoted into public office.
Mr Mulholland is a Lib-Dem from Leeds. A lesser party a lesser place if Boris is to be believed.
ReplyDeleteI doubt if his constituents agree but they are not London elite.
I have very mixed feelings about John Bercow as Speaker of the House of Commons - he's quite forward-thinking in some ways, and it's obviously healthy to have someone in the role who is thoroughly loathed by David Cameron and most of the government front bench.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if we'll attain that healthy situation in Scotland when Tricia Marwick stands down next year. It's certainly Labour's "turn" to provide the Presiding Officer, but they may not want to spare anyone from what may be a further depleted group. And if the SNP have a majority, I fear they'll go for one of their own again.
Healthy situation? "Labour's turn"? Absolute insanity.
DeleteIf SNP has a majority after 2016 Holyrood election the PO has to be an SNP MSP. Electing a Labour MSP as PO would risk indyref2 due to Unionist PO jiggery pokery.
If WM refuse Section 30 enabling legislation (which I see to be more than likely), a Labour PO would be nearly certain to rule Holyrood legislation authorising a plebiscite, ultra vires.
That would leave us up a real shitty creek sans paddle.
Well, of course governments always want it to be as easy as possible to push through their agenda. I'm just saying it's desirable to have a counterweight to that power, and it doesn't look like the opposition parties are going to provide it any time soon.
DeleteI noted the use of MAN too.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering, too, why MATE is considered parliamentary language. I thought they were all "Honourable" and "Rt Honourable" (not to mention occasionally "Gallant", or "Learned" ladies and gentlemen.
My right honourable mate diminishes some of the supposed gravitas, don't you think?
Somewhat off topic I know but the full results of the Panelbase Scotland poll on independence (amongst other topics) are now available.
ReplyDeleteNo 50%
Yes 45%
Don't know 5%
This represents the first time that pro UK opinion has reached the 50% barrier since well before the referendum. Furthermore, if we were to take the findings of the poll literally, only 1 of the undecided people will need to plonk for 'No' to take the unionists over the edge.
I believe we are very, very gradually returning to the kind of polling we saw before the campaign really got into full swing. Try as the SNP might, with the referendum and the GE both out of the way, they can't keep this issue at boiling point. Lives are moving on, people are talking about other things - and the reversion to long standing attitudes and beliefs concerning independence which prevailed prior to 2014 has already begun.
On the subject of Bercow - can't stand him. It says a lot for the government that they don't use their majority to remove him.
Congratulations on a truly heroic level of spin, Anon. Basically what you're highlighting (in a conveniently partial way) is that there are very few Don't Knows, and therefore both the Yes and No votes are high with Don't Knows included. In how many pre-referendum polls were Yes on 45% with Don't Knows included?
DeleteHmmm. Looks like people aren't "moving on" at all - or at least not in the way that you would wish.
Thanks for confirming with your comment on Bercow that you're a Tory - useful to know.
"Lives are moving on, people are talking about other things - and the reversion to long standing attitudes and beliefs concerning independence which prevailed prior to 2014 has already begun."
DeleteOh dear, oh dear.
Would you buy a used car from this man?
Bercow was (and maybe still is) an odious specimen who crawled to the fashionable power elite of the day. As an up and coming MP, he out-thatchered Thatcher. He changed to become the toady of the Labour benches, who enjoyed putting him in to spite the Tories - not a very good principle on which to appoint a Speaker but it shows the general contempt in which a majority of MPs held their own House in such an important appointment.
ReplyDeleteYet he does seem to have grown into the job somehwat, unlike the extremely biased and terminally incompetent Michael Martin.
Previously there were Speakers who commanded general respect and even affection. Whatever his alleged private peccadillos, George Thomas was one such. So was Betty Boothroyd - neither out of the social top drawer and certainly never needing to fall back on claims of snobbery by their occasional detractors.
But being a woman is somehow a BAD thing. Everyone knows that.
ReplyDelete