John Bercow: Prepared to debate English Parliament
John Bercow has indicated that he would be prepared to preside over a debate on an English Parliament.
Mr Bercow also indicated he would be prepared to preside over a debate on the establishment of an English Parliament, but added it was not the Speaker's role to call for such a discussion.
Two days previous to his Hansard Society Speech, Bercow had been giving a talk to school children in Scotland:
One lad impressed Mr Bercow by asking whether he believed there should be an English parliament.
Describing it as a very clever question Mr Bercow said it was very difficult for him to answer given his need to remain impartial as the Speaker.
"It's a matter of great controversy between members of different parties," he explained: "On the whole Conservative members are much keener on the idea of a separate English parliament. Labour members of parliament tend to take a different view and if I'm to retain my reputation as being a fair umpire, impartial between the parties, it's one of those questions it is better for me not to answer. But it is a very skilled question and you nearly skewered me."
That prompted a devolution debate with Lord Foulkes declaring a controversial non-party line that the House of Lords should be scrapped and the chamber used to create an English parliament, while Mr MacAskill took the opportunity to beat the drum for independence.
In thundering tones Lord Foulkes said: "There is a democratic deficit for England in that Scotland has its own parliament, Northern Ireland, and Wales and English people do not have control over their own affairs.
"I am in favour of a separate English elected parliament that's not Labour policy at the moment but it is my policy. Then we are moving towards a federal system."
I think it's fairly inevitable that John Bercow will preside over a debate on an English Parliament because the Tories will presumably want to debate English Votes on English Laws. It will be useful to have a Speaker who lets that debate take its natural course.
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Bercow might be the first MP
Bercow might be the first MP with a threat to his seat at the next election, to align himself with England, even if it is just to facilitate a debate.
Sometimes Tally - you just
Sometimes Tally - you just have to grit your teeth to get the desired result. I am sure that most people who will be jumping on the band wagon of an English parliament will be doing so for their own selfish reasons.
But - the outcome is such that I can put up with that, if we get the result that we want. I have always said that an English Parliament will only be achieved through political means. And that means we need at least one political party who can deliver the numbers to support the concept. I hope the Tories will do that - I am not yet conviced that they will, but events may overtake them.
[...] difficult position that
[...] difficult position that I’m supporting Nigel in Buckingham, because the Witanagemot mainstay, Little Man in a Toque, reports on the Bercow move, which might help England, if Bercow can be [...]