MPs gear up for Speaker election

The Speaker candidates – most of them – managed to turn up for a photo shoot just now at St Stephen’s Entrance. John Bercow was a little late and none of the others seemed keen to wait!

All 10 candidates got the necessary nominations so it could be a long night whittling down the list.

The Commons authorities have built a lot of “buffer time” into the timetable rather like the more unreliable train services – they don’t want headlines about chaos and delay.

So it could all happen a bit quicker than planned … but somewhere between 3.30 and 4.30pm the Commons will start its new-style secret ballot for the election of Speaker.

I wonder if it will also be the last? Secret ballots were brought in to spare MPs from the tyranny of the whips but in this election some seem more worried by the tyranny of the voters.

MPs look like voting in one of the candidates who is berating them least and who promises the least reform – Margaret Beckett or Sir George Young.

Either might make a very good Speaker but either should be prepared for a panning in the papers tomorrow if they win – today’s Sun and Mirror give a flavour of what they’re in for.