Chippiewill
26-03-2015, 11:08 PM
A government bid to change the rules on electing Commons speakers - seen by Labour as an attempt to oust John Bercow - has been defeated.
Mr Bercow was almost overcome by emotion as he announced the result of the vote - 228 to 202.
He had earlier told MPs: "I'm not going anywhere."
William Hague wanted a secret ballot to decide the Speaker's future after the election but Labour and some Tory MPs said it was a "grubby" plot.
They accused the Commons leader of springing the motion on MPs in the final hours of the current Parliament, before it breaks up for the general election.
Among the No votes were 23 Conservative MPs and 10 Liberal Democrats.
In extraordinary scenes, MPs hurled abuse at Mr Hague for allegedly conspiring with Prime Minister David Cameron to oust Mr Bercow, who is unpopular with much of the Tory leadership.
Moving the motion, Mr Hague, who is standing down as an MP, said there was a long tradition of secret ballots in Britain to decide powerful positions.
He said: "I think a secret ballot frees members of this House completely from pressure from their parties or from the chair.
"I think that is the right thing in principle to do."
In a tearful speech, Tory MP Charles Walker, chairman of the Commons procedure committee, claimed he had been "played for a fool" by ministers over the issue.
Mr Walker said he had attended Mr Hague's leaving drinks this week, spending 20 minutes saying goodbye to his special adviser and speaking to Deputy Commons Leader Tom Brake and Chief Whip Michael Gove, "all of whom would have been aware of what was going on".
He said: "I have been played as a fool and when I go home tonight I will look in the mirror and see an honourable fool looking back at me and I would much rather be an honourable fool in this and any other matter than a clever man."
Labour MPs got to their feet and gave the Tory MP a round of applause - something that is not supposed to happen under Commons rules.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32061097
In summary Hague is a ****. In long, basically the Tory leadership conspired to subvert the democratic process by forcing through a procedural change with little discussion when most of the labour MPs had gone home (Nothing major was meant to happen today), the main point of which was to oust Bercow as Speaker (Because he dares interrupt Cameron). The Conservative front-bench had used a three-line whip for something unrelated to keep the Conservative MPs in London to try to vote through this change.
Frankly the whole affair was a pretty disgusting plot.
Mr Bercow was almost overcome by emotion as he announced the result of the vote - 228 to 202.
He had earlier told MPs: "I'm not going anywhere."
William Hague wanted a secret ballot to decide the Speaker's future after the election but Labour and some Tory MPs said it was a "grubby" plot.
They accused the Commons leader of springing the motion on MPs in the final hours of the current Parliament, before it breaks up for the general election.
Among the No votes were 23 Conservative MPs and 10 Liberal Democrats.
In extraordinary scenes, MPs hurled abuse at Mr Hague for allegedly conspiring with Prime Minister David Cameron to oust Mr Bercow, who is unpopular with much of the Tory leadership.
Moving the motion, Mr Hague, who is standing down as an MP, said there was a long tradition of secret ballots in Britain to decide powerful positions.
He said: "I think a secret ballot frees members of this House completely from pressure from their parties or from the chair.
"I think that is the right thing in principle to do."
In a tearful speech, Tory MP Charles Walker, chairman of the Commons procedure committee, claimed he had been "played for a fool" by ministers over the issue.
Mr Walker said he had attended Mr Hague's leaving drinks this week, spending 20 minutes saying goodbye to his special adviser and speaking to Deputy Commons Leader Tom Brake and Chief Whip Michael Gove, "all of whom would have been aware of what was going on".
He said: "I have been played as a fool and when I go home tonight I will look in the mirror and see an honourable fool looking back at me and I would much rather be an honourable fool in this and any other matter than a clever man."
Labour MPs got to their feet and gave the Tory MP a round of applause - something that is not supposed to happen under Commons rules.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32061097
In summary Hague is a ****. In long, basically the Tory leadership conspired to subvert the democratic process by forcing through a procedural change with little discussion when most of the labour MPs had gone home (Nothing major was meant to happen today), the main point of which was to oust Bercow as Speaker (Because he dares interrupt Cameron). The Conservative front-bench had used a three-line whip for something unrelated to keep the Conservative MPs in London to try to vote through this change.
Frankly the whole affair was a pretty disgusting plot.