Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Nine MPs make pitch for Bercow's job

Nine MPs make pitch for Bercow's job

Tory candidates attack his record - and a deputy speaker says he believes Parliament has a drugs problem.

The nine MPs vying to replace John Bercow as Commons Speaker have been quizzed by journalists in Westminster.

Mr Bercow - who has held the office since 2009 - is standing down on 31 October, with MPs to elect his replacement on 4 November.

Several Tory candidates accused Mr Bercow of being biased - something he has always denied.

One hopeful, deputy Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, suggested there was a drugs problem in Parliament.

Questioned on whether there was an issue with alcohol at Westminster, Sir Lindsay said: "It's not just drink we've got to catch out, there is a drug problem, and I genuinely believe that counselling and real support should be available for all staff and members."


Commons Speaker John Bercow to stand down


Asked to clarify what he meant, he added: "I think, I believe there will be a drug problem - there is a drug problem right across this country.

"I don't believe that somebody who walks in here may not be tempted into drugs, and what I'm saying is that we should have health and wellbeing in place for drink and drug counselling and real support for anybody."

All three deputy Speakers - Sir Lindsay, Dame Rosie Winterton and Dame Eleanor Laing - are taking part in the contest to replace Mr Bercow.

The candidates also argued over the right of women MPs to breastfeed in the chamber during the two-hour hustings event.

Dame Eleanor said it was "not necessary", adding: "Been there, done that - we didn't have maternity leave when I had a baby... and if I managed to bring up a healthy child without breastfeeding in the chamber, then it can't be all that difficult."

Another candidate, Conservative MP Sir Henry Bellingham, agreed, suggesting it could be done in "an absolute emergency... but as a rule I would say no".

But Labour's Harriet Harman - one of the first MPs to breastfeed her child in the Commons - said while "most women would not want to breastfeed in the chamber or in a select committee", they should be allowed to if they chose.

Conservative MP Shailesh Vara agreed, arguing: "We can't on the one hand bang on about equality for everyone and then actually say, on that front, we won't give equality to women and the need to breastfeed."


'Playground bully'


The candidates were quizzed about impartiality, and what they would bring to the role.

Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh said Mr Bercow was "perceived by a large part of the nation not to be impartial".

He said the next Speaker needed to be "more in the mould" of Betty Boothroyd, the former Labour MP who held the position between 1992 and 2000, and who this week celebrated her 90th birthday.

Mr Vara, said he believed Mr Bercow had "tarnished the role of Speaker with his biasness", and described him as a "verbal playground bully".

He said he wanted to be the first Speaker from an ethnic minority, adding that it would send "a powerful message to every single child in this country - black, white, brown, boy, girl" that if "that bloke Vara can make it, then so can I".

Ms Harman said the role of Speaker was to be the "champion of Parliament in our parliamentary democracy", and electing a woman would show Parliament was "no longer an old boys' club".


Knee breeches


The candidates vied with each other to deplore the chaotic scenes in the Commons that surrounded Mr Johnson's unlawful prorogation of Parliament.

Labour's Meg Hillier said: "I think it was one of the most unedifying moments in our parliamentary history to have all that singing, shouting. It was very uncomfortable."

Labour's Chris Bryant said he hated the "chaos in the chamber", adding: "I didn't think that did us any favours."

Asked about how he viewed the Speaker's role, he told journalists: "I think having an impartial Speaker is absolutely essential to the good functioning of our democracy."

Conservative Sir Henry said he would he would revert to wearing a wig, winged collar and knee breeches - the traditional Speaker's uniform last worn by Bernard Weatherill, who was in the Speaker's chair between 1983 and 1992.

"I think we do have to keep modernising, but I also believe in traditional values," Sir Henry told the meeting.

"The reason why High Court judges and judges wear wigs and gowns is because it is about the office they hold."

The nine candidates are:

Sir Henry Bellingham - Conservative MP for North West Norfolk since 1983


Chris Bryant - former minister and shadow Commons leader; Labour MP for Rhondda since 2001


Harriet Harman - former minister and deputy Labour leader; Labour MP since 1992, for Peckham and its successor constituency Camberwell


Meg Hillier - chairwoman of the Public Accounts Committee and former minister; Labour MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch since 2005


Sir Lindsay Hoyle - elected Labour MP for Chorley in 1997; gave up Labour whip when elected deputy Speaker in 2010


Dame Eleanor Laing - elected Conservative MP for Epping Forest in 1997; gave up Conservative whip when elected deputy Speaker in 2013


Sir Edward Leigh - Conservative MP for Gainsborough since 1983; former chairman of the Public Accounts Committee


Shailesh Vara - Conservative MP for North West Cambridgeshire since 2005; former Northern Ireland minister


Dame Rosie Winterton - elected Labour MP for Doncaster Central in 1997; former Labour chief whip; gave up whip when elected deputy Speaker in 2017

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×