A Spiv For A Speaker

Government MPs have smug grins on their faces after one of their kind was elected Speaker, despite flaunting his token Tory credentials. Unless there's a massive change of heart and conscience, the election of second homes flipping spiv, Bercow, will only inflame public mood as voters treat the whole squalid mess of an election charade with the contempt it deserves.

Quentin Letts over at the Mail gets it in one - They voted for someone who could be even worse than Gorbals Mick!

Born-again Bercow finally beat off a challenge from Tory toff Sir George Young after MPs voted with their feet to ignore government favourite Old Ma Beckett amid claims of a stitch-up by the whips.

Pointedly, the Conservatives were the only ones in the House not greeting the election of a New Labour ringer with rapturous applause. Cameron's welcome was decidedly lukewarm.

More comfortable sucking up New Labour than the Tories, despised Bercow's biggest problem now is that most of his own party hate him as he tries to square up to a bitterly divided House.

And that doesn't bode well for someone charged with clearing up the stench of the expenses scandal, restoring public faith in parliament and steering the commons with an impartial hand on the tiller in the run up to a general election.

Chancer Bercow was in with a chance not for his parliamentarian skills but because he slimed up to MPs and backbenchers for years touting for the top job.

Displaying all the superficial charm of a used car-salesman/merchant banker, squeaker Bercow's toughest task now will be to charm voters, fed up, angry and thoroughly disgusted with a discredited Commons.

What was needed was a good egg, someone in it for parliament not themselves. In the end, New Labour MPs lined up to support their Trojan Horse in the speaker sweepstakes because they saw in him one of their kind and could get one over on Dave. No wonder Brown looked so chuffed with himself.

This obnoxious little man insists that he's got what it takes to restore trust in Parliament and politicians but it's difficult to see how an expenses cheat would be capable of repairing the damage of the House up to its greedy neck in sleaze and corruption.

As failed speaker hopeful Ann Widdecombe so assiduously puts it: The speaker needs the "goodwill of parliament" to succeed. The new Mr Speaker hasn't got what it takes. With many Tories detesting this vile man and New Labour voting for him in a game of ya boo sucks to the Tories, he's not the right man to restore that much-needed public trust.

MPs have learnt nothing from the devastating expenses scandal, clinging onto the the vain hope it will all blow over.

The font of all expenses shows all-round slime-ball Bercow is no stranger to the expenses scam. The Telegraph reveals how he 'flipped' his second home and twice got his tax form filled in at taxpayers expense, a move which a tax expert described as “scandalous”. So much for the much heralded fresh start.

For the history books, Bercow becomes the first 'Conservative' Speaker since 1992, following Labour's Martin and Boothroyd into the hot seat. But a Tory in name only without the guts to cross-over to his new found friends.

As the election sweepstakes unfolded, government shoe-in Beckett fell at the second hurdle, with revolting MPs refusing to play ball with a stitch-up by government whips, leaving squeaker Bercow to be installed as a ringer in the big comfy speaker's chair. The messy game of party political one upmanship will do nothing to restore battered public confidence.

MPs were still up to their old tricks, trying to juggle their favourite into the top job, treating the public and parliament with contempt. The Orange Party wholeheartedly agrees with Rachel Sylvester over at The Times. This shows the commons at its worst.

How depressing that MPs could not seize this opportunity to show the public they truly understand their anger and need for a fresh start with a Speaker who was relatively clean and not too tarnished with the expenses brush.

MPs still have a lot to learn from the public wrath over their squalid expenses which saw disgraced speaker Martin getting the boot. The Commons does not exist to serve their own greedy self-serving interest.

The high office of speaker does not exist to serve the self-serving interest of a two-bit politician who's motive to become Speaker is based more on personal ambition rather than on a honest belief in the need to clean up the Commons.

What's most disturbing is that the appointment of squeaker Bercow could bring the House even further into disrepute.

The Orange Party may be proved wrong and he may turn out to be the best thing since Betty B. But he's on probation and may not last long with the Tories waiting in the wings to pull the rug from under his feet.

Everyone wanted change except MPs with the most to lose. But for now it's back to business as usual in Brown's Big Brother House.

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Is Speaker Stitch-Up A One Horse Race?

Government favourite, Ma Beckett, could romp home in a stitched-up Speaker sweepstakes, if the whips have their wicked way. Most hopefuls having their grubby little hoofs in the taxpayers' till. A messy game of party political one upmanship is being played out at Westminster as MPs fall back into their bad old ways to elect a new Speaker which will do nothing to restore battered public confidence.

A month after disgraced speaker Martin was booted out in the wake of anger and disgust over expenses, MPs have learnt nothing.

The culture of sleaze and corruption is as bad as ever. The election for a new commons ringmaster/mistress has all the hallmarks of a charade from the start to the finishing line.

For the second time in a row, the government is hoping to install one of its own in the top commons job in its squalid bid to control Parliament. But the Orange Party prays common sense and decency will prevail.

Disgraced Martin's forced removal and a new speaker for a new greed-free dawn was a golden chance to send a reassuring message to voters that the Commons was ready for a fresh start.

Yet many of the candidates are the very MPs who've milked the expenses system with great gusto.

Treating the public and parliament with contempt, MPs are up to their old tricks, trying to juggle their favourite into the top job.

Even before the new speaker takes the chair, The Times reports claims that Beckett could make it because of a Party stitch-up. Turn-coat token Tory Bercow has long touted his speaker ambitions as a New Labour darling.

At a stroke, a bunch of crooks, spivs and chancers are ignoring their responsibility for restoring public faith in democracy choosing, instead, to debase the tarnished reputation of the commons with a Beckett or Bercow expenses cheat and government prop.

All the front-runners have form. Fresh from her gardening leave, Ma Beckett, spent almost £11,000 of taxpayers' money on gardening. All round slimeball, Bercow, 'flipped' his second home and Tory toff Sir George Young, claimed the maximum second homes allowance available for two years running.

All roads lead back to Brown, who shoehorned his pal Martin into the job when Blair called time on respected Tiller Girl turned school ma'am Betty Boothroyd. Now New Labour Party whips are up to their usual arm-twisting tricks to try to stitch-up the contest for Ma Beckett.

In a secret ballot no-one will ever know who voted for whom and that could throw up some surprises. But a likely re-run of the shabby process that put disgraced Martin into the job in the first place is on the cards, with second-rate Brown at the centre of the shoddy skulduggery to put his bod at the centre of parliamentary power and influence.

For the public, the Speaker is seen as a tourist prop, a grand figure in the pomp and ceremony of public life. But behind the scenes the position is all powerful, controlling the heart of democracy, the reputation of Parliament and MPs' expenses.

If any party leader thinks today's messy squalid spectacle is the way to restore public confidence then they will be bitterly disappointed. Whatever the outcome, whatever the spin put on it, the result will only inflame the public mood as voters treat it with the contempt and cynicism the whole squalid mess deserves.

The role of Speaker is supposed to be politically impartial. Tradition dictates that the high office is swapped between political parties so the post can command the respect of the whole of House.

Martin was a New Labour stooge. Ma Beckett, standing for the keep-things-as-they-are-Party, would follow in his shoes. Bercow brings to the contest nothing but shame and distaste from Tories. Sir George is too grand to be the choice for a people's parliament.

Meanwhile as the speaker sweepstakes continue, Brown has the gall to call for a clean up of Parliament with more transparency while at the same time whipping up support for one of his own to make sure power stays in Brown's Big Brother House.

After the expenses scandal and speaker Martin's fall from grace, it seemed for a short time MPs would get their house in order and find someone who could command the respect of the House and the country.

There are some good eggs in the rotten basket but the Orange Party fears they'll be swamped by an out-manoeuvring charade.

How depressing that MPs cannot seize this opportunity to show the public they understand that need for change.

How depressing that MPs still do not realise that the Commons does not exist to serve their own greedy self-serving interest?

Instead, it's politics as usual for a fag-end government trying to put in place a commons lap-dog, as it limbers up for its final lap of power.

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Good Riddance To Bad Rubbish

Beleaguered Brown has won breathing space from the wrath of parliament and voters with some serious tribal political plotting, as he wields the knife on his disgraced commons speaker pal Martin.

In an historic day for parliament as the discredited speaker was forced out of office, the long-suffering public were left wondering when and where it will all end. 

New Labour cronies may bleat around the bush claiming their man had been made a scapegoat. The Orange Party will not be among them. The nations should rejoice. It's good riddance to bad rubbish. Martin epitomised everything that was wrong with the failed and discredited New Labour brand. A chance now to clean out the rotting stench of corruption at the heart of Westminster. 

The last speaker to come a cropper was a cross-eyed crook who left MPs in a quandary trying to catch the speaker's eye.

In 1695, he was caught red-handed accepting a bribe in a cash for laws scandal and had to be prised out of office while clinging by his fingertips to one of the highest offices in the land. 

What goes around, comes around. 

Neatly side-stepping the 'will of parliament' and a humiliating no confidence vote, Martin's 34 second resignation gives Brown and his Downing Street boys the one thing they hoped and prayed for - time. 

In a last ditch bid to saves his pal's skin, his long-time crony finally announced he is quitting before dragging Brown down with him. 

Martin leaves in a month's time, leaving a by-election in his Glasgow North East constituency in his wake and a nasty taste in the mouth. 

In what could well turn into a re-run of last July's rout at the hands of the SNP, voters have another chance to show they are fed up with Brown and his cronies who have no place in the hearts and minds of the people of the country.

Then with the Labour Party in disarray in Scotland, riddled with sleaze allegations, the people of Glasgow East sent a clear message to Westminster and Brown got the Glaswegian kiss.

The commons ringmaster and gatekeeper of the MPs expenses fiddle has been clinging limpet-like to his speaker's chair as moves to bring him to parliamentary justice and oust him gained support with petitions calling for a snap general election flying around like confetti. 

The longer bunkered Brown let the dead speaker walking walk away with it, the worse it would get for the tight cabal of cronies. 

Martin was part of the problem. He could not and would not survive whatever political games are played to keep him in post until the general election so his can pick up his peerage and fat pay-off pay cheque. 

But if the speaker made an immediate sharp exit that would trigger a by-election now and certain defeat at the hands of the SNP, followed by the rout of an early general election.  

A by-election after a summer stand down is just what the spin doctors ordered. 

Only Martin's cronies in the New Labour ruling party, using the spinning smokescreen of a scapegoat, are rallying round to support one of their kind who's brought shame and a plague on both their houses as all roads lead back to Brown. 

Once again it is the petty party political tribal loyalties at the heart of a discredited Brown government which have led to the ignominious end of a man who has presided over nearly a decade of corruption. 

Brown pulls the strings behind his long-time buddy. He calls the shots. He decides how to solve a problem like the speaker. He wielded the knife. 

Now Brown will have to accept the consequences of dithering around and putting his petty party politics and political posturing above the interests of the country. 

Martin stuck up for his mate Brown and visa versa but something had to give as the sordid mess of MPs' expenses threatened to bring down the Party and parliamentary democracy. 

The ball was in Brown's court. He could put aside his tribal loyalty to Martin and let him go or go down with him. 

For the first time since the English Revolution, rebellion is in the air. Unprecedented scenes of anger, disgust and disgrace left the cherished democracy of parliament in tatters. 

With disbelief, the shamed speaker refused point blank to give in to calls for a no-confidence vote. Calls to quit fell on his deaf and greedy ears. 

Time and again troughing Martin had made a mockery of the non-partisan post while feathering his own nest, showing his true New Labour colours, sticking up for and sucking up to his cronies in a discredited government up to its neck in the shame of MPs' scandalous expenses.  

Today threatened to be another mother of all rows in the mother of all parliaments and utter chaos in Brown's Big Brother house. 

Now his demise gives time for all parties to put their own rotten houses in order before calls for an immediate general election to clear the air of the rotten stench turn into a deafening roar. 

'Gorbals Mick' was a liability for the government, the commons and the country. Even sticking in the job until the summer will not assuage public and parliament anger.

The discredited bunch of New Labour chancers, spivs and downright crooks have only themselves to blame.  As the Orange Party has pointed out, 'Gorbals Mick' was already in the thick of it well before the latest revelations, his earlier greedy troughing track-record tracked here by Private Eye's Christopher Silvester.

The blinkered and the blind followers of a discredited New Labour brand are trying to cling on to an increasingly bitter end before annihilation. 

Reform of parliament was impossible while this arrogant and greedy man remained in office. Getting rid of the commons speaker will not solve all the problems of the commons. It is a start - but only a start. Window dressing until the election.

The MPs' expenses scandal cannot be  allowed to rot and fester in a sea of pathetic party political posturing and Brown's arrogant tribal loyalties. 

The Orange Party just hopes Martin doesn't get rewarded with a cushy peerage for services to New Labour politics. 

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