JOHN Bercow will quit the Speaker’s chair this week to begin a new career – as a speaker.
He is in great demand to be a guest on the lucrative after-dinner circuit by VIPs keen to hear the inside story of his ten years umpiring Commons debates.
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In the past month he has received more than £5,000 for speeches in Zurich, Amsterdam, Boston and New York.
But he has insisted: “I don’t think I want to milk anything. I am entitled to make a living.”
Mr Bercow has irked Brexiteer Tories so much he could become the first Speaker in 200 years to be denied a peerage when he steps down.
Ministers have been frustrated by his behaviour and say he is partly to blame for three years of Brexit turmoil.
Bottles of “Speaker Bercow’s whisky” were selling fast in the Commons gift shop last week by politicians out to secure a bit of history.
Thursday will be Mr Bercow’s last full day in the chair before he hands over to one of nine candidates – to be elected in a secret ballot of MPs the following Monday.
List of the Speaker’s finest achievements
Er…Ummmm… His wife was once on Celeb Big Brother
Labour’s Sir Lindsay Hoyle is hot favourite to replace him after being his deputy from day one.
He is seen a fair “referee” of Commons debates and has vowed to bring an end to bullying in the Commons.
The Chorley MP has chaired PM’s questions, Budget speeches and was acting Speaker when the Palace of Westminster came under terrorist attack in March 2017, which resulted in the death of brave PC Keith Palmer.
Sir Lindsay, 62, said: “I would strive to be completely independent in the chamber, ensure the voices of backbenchers are heard and that the executive is held to account.
“I want to make the House of Commons a building in which people say they want to work there. I would ensure support for health and well-being of all Commons staff and an end to bullying.”
FRESH IDEAS
Rival candidate Dame Eleanor Laing has vowed to bring the party spirit back to Westminster if she is elected Britain’s second woman Speaker.
She wants to cultivate a “culture of kindness” among MPs to bring an end to the hostility stirred up by the Brexit debate.
Dame Eleanor recalls the “entertainment evenings” hosted by the last female Speaker Betty Boothroyd, when she was a young political adviser.
She said: “They were genuinely fun occasions that broke down the political barriers and reminded us all that we could be friends at work.
“I recall dancing ‘Knees Up Mother Brown’ with Betty and having the former Leader of the House, John MacGregor, impress us with his magical mind reading act.
“There are so many talented and brilliantly wonderful people serving in Parliament, which is why they were elected in the first place. It’s time to re-kindle that spirit of bonhomie, to end the nastiness in Parliament and to re-unite everyone to make the heart of our democracy a happier, more respectful, compassionate and functioning place.”
Dame Eleanor, Tory MP for Epping Forest, added: “The macho, aggressive politics that we have seen recently hasn’t done us any favours. We are in a stalemate over Brexit and trust in our democracy and Parliament has plummeted. It’s time to try something different.
“There is so much that unites all MPs. We all want to serve the public, to make people’s lives better and to give a voice to those who struggle to be heard.
“So the next Speaker must bring all MPs together, remind them – and the country – how much they agree on, and encourage a culture of kindness in Westminster.”
Labour MPs Harriet Harman and Chris Bryant are also front-runners in the keenly contested race to succeed Mr Bercow.
The other candidates are Sir Henry Bellingham, Meg Hillier, Sir Edward Leigh, Shailesh Vara and Dame Rosie Winterton.
Favourites to replace him
Lindsay Hoyle 8/13
Harriet Harman 2/1
Rosie Winteron 9/1
Chris Bryant 11/1
Eleanor Laing 14/1
Edward Leigh 33/1
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