Beckett or Bercow as Speaker would be a joke

There is a rumour, on the BBC news website and elsewhere, that the Government is canvassing for Beckett. Labour MPs are believed to favour Bercow, a change from the sheet metal worker and surprising that they would back a Tory.

Yet, one wonders how the Commons can be taken seriously with either as its speaker. Surely someone of the stature of Frank Field would be more plausible. He´s not besmirched by his expenses claims, as alas Mrs Beckett is (remember her notorious heckling on Question Time? who can forget?). As for Bercow, I don´t need to say anything about him.

Let´s see what happens. Maybe someone will be elected as Speaker who will bring some dignity back to parliament but I´d not be surprised if a majority of MPs, snout-deep in the troughs, decide to make an ever bigger laughing stock of the Commons.