MP: ‘Speaker has to deliver on promises’

AN Oldham MP today demanded that the new Speaker of the House of Commons clean-up Parliament.

Oldham West and Royton MP Michael Meacher — who was elected when John Bercow was only seven years old — said the newly-elected Speaker now had a unique opportunity to restore the public’s faith in British politics after weeks of revelations over MPs expenses.

Mr Bercow — a Tory disowned by his own side — was backed by many Labour MPs to lead the reform of the Commons.

The former right-winger, who made a remarkable political journey to become an ultra-moderniser, triumphed after three rounds of voting stretching over a dramatic six hours.

But now Mr Meacher said it was time to deliver on his promises.

He said: “He needs to be able first and foremost to restore the integrity of Parliament, but also to seize the opportunity now uniquely offered perhaps for the first time in a century to transform the outdated ritual of the House, to fundamentally change the balance of power between executive and legislature in holding the former to account, and to reconnect parliamentary proceedings with the electorate who have increasingly felt distanced and alienated.

“Bercow promised these things, and has an unprecedented chance to implement them.”

But the Labour MP fears the loathing from the Tory benches may hinder attempts of reform and fears senior Tories will attempt to unseat Mr Bercow if they win the next General Election and replace him with “one of their own”.

He added: “It’s a dangerous game. The election of the Speaker was always meant to be above party politics, but this is a reversion to tribalism with a vengeance.

“The removal of the previous Speaker, Michael Martin, was the first for 300 years, and for specific well-known reasons, but then within a year to disembowel the new Speaker who had declared himself the clean-break candidate simply because he wasn’t Tory enough would set a deadly and backward-looking precedent.

“It seems that, in allowing partisan wilfulness to override democratic choice, the Tories have already decided “We are the masters now” even 11 months before they get there.”

Many Labour MPs backed Mr Bercow because they genuinely believed he will lead reform and help parliament stand up to an over-mighty government.

However, many others backed him to get back at the Tories.

Mr Bercow quit the frontbench over its refusal to support adoption by gay couples and is suspected of flirting with defection to Labour.