Former minister Crispin Blunt has been rallying support for a motion of no confidence over Mr Bercow’s handling of laws taking Britain out of the European Union. The Tory MP wants to pile pressure on the Speaker to quit after speculation he will stay in post until after the Brexit deadlock is resolved. “Even his most partisan supporters for the positive changes he has delivered as Speaker do not now seriously dispute his bias in the conduct of our affairs,” he said.
“But it now goes way beyond the Brexit debate.
“The public should never underestimate how far reaching the implications of these powers are for our democracy.
“The holder of this great office decides which MPs can speak in the House of Commons Chamber during debates and selects the amendments that MPs vote on, giving the Speaker the effective power to shape legislation.
“If colleagues are too cowed or too content with the direction of his bias to state their view on Speaker Bercow’s obvious partiality, then not only will he feel able to continue, as is being reported in the media, but also feel able to do so exercising the power of his office wholly inappropriately.
“MPs will have failed to stand up for our most basic standards and have no one to blame but ourselves.”
Mr Blunt will table an early day motion after Easter and hopes it will be backed by more than 100 MPs.
Although it will not trigger any formal action it would prove highly embarrassing for Mr Bercow, who has already stayed in post a year longer than promised.
Last year, amid criticism of his handling of Parliamentary bullying accusations, friends suggested that he would depart this summer.
However, Mr Bercow has not officially set out his intended leave date.
A spokesman for the Speaker’s Office said: “The Speaker was elected by the House in 2017 for the course of the Parliament.
“In the event he has anything to say on his future plans, he will make an announcement to the House first.”
A similar attempt by frustrated Tories to oust Mr Bercow in 2017 fizzled out but anger has since increased after the Speaker made a series of rulings that have favoured opponents of Brexit.
Mr Bercow has previously admitting voting Remain and wife Sally drives a car with an obscene anti-Brexit slogan.
