New Speaker
Today we choose a new Speaker of the House of Commons, replacing the disgraced Michael Martin and the first guy to be tossed in 360 years. Labour has done its work and select John Bercow, who is universally despised by the Tory party who already make wind about displacing him (says one: "He is not popular. He has enjoyed being Labour's man in this contest... He is quite unacceptable"). Bercow sold himself to MPs as the “clean break candidate” after the expenses scandals of the past months yet has claimed more than £20,000 annually over the past four years to cover the cost of staying away from home on parliamentary business. He has also been accused of "flipping" his second home to avoid capital gains tax on the sale of two properties in 2003, shortly after his marriage. He magnanimously agrees to pay £6,500 to HM Customs and Revenue which was my money to begin with. But let us set that aside under the assumption that every politician is on the take and we cannot be too picky. Mr Bercow yesterday saw off nine rivals to claim the Speaker’s chair in a secret ballot of MPs. He was “dragged” to the chair after seeing off his main rival Sir George Young by a margin of 322 MPs to 271 in the third round of voting. He noted further that he would like to see the issue of parliamentary expenses dealt with “in a timely fashion” and reform should not be put off for “a period of several months” or more. Such urgency, pardieu. At 46, Bercow is not only the youngest speaker in 160 years, he won't wear the traditional wig nor the old-fashioned court dress donned by predecessors including Michael Martin. His new job comes with a £141,866 salary, and a lavish apartment on the banks of the Thames and, he notes slyly, that he will personally not claim the parliamentary Additional Costs Allowance to which MPs are entitled to cover the cost of staying away from home. Such a populist, indeed.
Today is the second day of Wimbledon and the weather divine. Where else would one wish to be?
Madeleine: "Oh, dad - I've poured water onto my cereal!"
Eitan on the school run: "If you sing any more I am going to pinch you."
Madeleine adds helpfully: "And if you whistle I will hit you."
