Speaker Election: The Devil or the Deep Blue Sea?
What a pity that the election for a new Speaker of the Hosue of Commons has descended into a qustion of who you like least rather than who you support most. Barring an enormous and improbable late surge for the highly qualified Alan Beith, it’s likely to come down to one of Beckett, Bercow and Young. Neither Beckett nor Young fill me with joy, but Bercow positively terrifies me. His near-zero support on the Tory benches seems to be the principal reason Labour MPs are tempted by him. Trying to piss off David Cameron is not a good basis for choosing the next Speaker. If he wins, we could be lumbered with him for twenty years. Not an attractive prospect. I’d vote Beith then for Young, holding my nose if necessary to vote Beckett if she ends up in a run-off against the dreadful Bercow.