Speaker wants his deputies to be elected

Published on Thursday 2 July 2009 18:57

COMMONS Speaker John Bercow has called for MPs to be allowed for the first time to elect his three deputies.

The move would be a break from convention and enhance the independence of the Commons by removing from party whips their role in the appointment of the deputy speakers.

He said yesterday that his election as Speaker last month demonstrated that the Commons was ready for change. "In a modern democracy which puts parliament first, I am convinced that the choice of such office holders should be determined not by consultation but by process of election," he said.

In his statement to the Commons, the Speaker said that a change of deputies was appropriate to restore political balance after his own election.

Mr Bercow was a Tory back-bencher until taking up the speakership, when he had to renounce his political affiliations. His predecessor, Michael Martin, had been a Labour MP.

"I am proposing that a ballot or ballots should be conducted in the House to choose one deputy speaker from the opposition side and two from the government side of the House," he said. "I have consulted with the usual channels and I hope to bring this about shortly after the House returns in October."

He described his existing deputies – Labour's Sylvia Heal and Tories Sir Alan Haselhurst and Sir Michael Lord – as "outstanding".

He also urged ministers to respond more quickly to written questions from MPs. Such questions are a valuable tool for back-benchers to obtain information about the government's work.

He said that the timeliness of replies was of "considerable concern" to MPs and urged ministers to clear a backlog of requests before the summer recess.

Mr Bercow said he was setting up a system to track questions and pinpoint delays in ministerial replies.