Exclusive: Beckett for Speaker

According to The First Post’s sources in the Labour Party, Margaret Beckett is ‘all but’ confirmed as favourite for the Speaker’s chair

FIRST POSTED JUNE 10, 2009

Labour Party veteran Margaret Beckett looks set to become the next Speaker of the House of Commons, replacing the disgraced Michael Martin who steps down on June 21. According to Labour sources today, Beckett has "all but made up her mind" to stand for election on June 22.

With only lightweight contenders put forward by the Tories and Lib Dems, Beckett should be assured of a smooth ride in the secret ballot of MPs. Apart from a few arch-Blairites, most Labour MPs can be expected to vote for her. Though they may be heading for oblivion this time next year, they still hold sway in the Commons today.

Until last Friday when Gordon Brown finally sacked her in his Cabinet reshuffle - she was housing minister under Hazel Blears, but with a seat at the Cabinet table - Beckett has barely been off the Labour front bench, whether in opposition or in government, for quarter of a century.

She has been Leader of the House, Foreign Secretary and Environment Secretary. She even holds the distinction of being a former leader of the Labour Party: she was in charge for the interregnum between the death of John Smith in May 1994 and the election of Tony Blair to party leader in July the same year.

She will not be the first female speaker - that record is still held by Betty Boothroyd, much missed by many in Westminster since the arrival of the abrasive 'Gorbals Mick' Martin.

Beckett will be expected to lead the drive to clean up the Commons after the recent expenses horror. Although she was caught up in the scandal herself as one of the 'grace and favour brigade', she did nothing to break Commons rules.

The Daily Telegraph reported that she claimed the second home allowance on her constituency property in Derby while at the same time being able to let out her London home because she and her husband Leo enjoyed a grace and favour flat in Admiralty House.

Her departure from the Cabinet last Friday came as a personal blow - she is understood to have told Brown that she deserved promotion - but her run for Speaker can be expected to get "below the radar" approval from Number Ten.

At the moment, the best the other parties have to offer are two tired old men from the Lib Dems - Alan Beith and Ming Campbell - and from the Tory benches two grandees, George Young and Alan Haselhurst, and the much younger contender John Bercow, who, as the Mole reported last week, is not much loved by his colleagues.

The Tories are, in effect, paying the price for helping push Martin out of office before they have the majority in the Commons. If Beckett does stand as predicted, they may try to find a more stellar candidate than Bercow.

Editors note: Following the posting of this item Margaret Becket confirmed that she is standing for Speaker. "I will be sending a letter round to MPs asking for support," she said. "We have got very considerable problems in Parliament... I hope I can help us deal with that."

FIRST POSTED JUNE 10, 2009

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I'm not sure I could stand another Labour speaker - her of all people!

Posted by ROBERT BOYD at 4:49pm on June 10, 2009

I actually registered an account for the sole purpose of highlighting how absurd your little bit of partisan nonsense in the second-to-last paragraph is. It's bad enough that Ming Campbell's age was seen as a de facto bar from his being a leader of the Liberal Democrats, but for it to be presented as a bar from his becoming speaker, a job ordinarily held by senior MPs, is outrageous. But that is isn't the worst of it. I don't know Alan Beith well enough to know whether he's 'tired' though Ming probably works more and sleeps less hours of the day than you do. On the other hand, as to whether Alan and Ming are 'old', Ming is a STAGGERING two years older than your favourite candidate, Beckett, and Alan is three months YOUNGER. So if Beith is 'old' what does that make Beckett? 'Seasoned' I suppose? 'Mature'. Utter nonsense, and particularly appalling when you completely neglect the question of whether her blatant exploitation of the expenses system effectively bars her from being the figurehead for the campaign to restore credibility to the system, as any sane person would think it should. Unless you believe Ming's 'expensive lunches' are on par with claiming second homes allowance on a property you're leasing out. Though having read your article, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if you did believe it.

Posted by D Crowe at 5:40pm on June 10, 2009

Brilliant news that Margaret Beckett is going to stand as Speaker. She is head and shoulders above all the other candidates so far; apart from Anne Widdicombe perhaps. If MPs use their intelligence and what decency that they might have left then surely Margaret will get the job. She has all the qualities required of a great Speaker and has the respect of the whole house, unlike John Bercow who Gordon Brown said he might support just to spite the tories no doubt. Has he and this Labour Government not learnt anything from the last few weeks? Margaret you are just the woman to sort out this mess and put the smug male MPs in order and restore honour and integrity back to the House of Commons. Go Margaret go!

Posted by Simon Icke at 7:50pm on June 10, 2009

What will this Government's legacy be? Will they burst the ball because they are losing the match? Have they learnt anything from the last few scandalous weeks? The next speaker must be whiter than white in their expense claims record and have the trust of all MPs and the general public; which suggest Anne Widdicombe may come up on the rails with a storming finish to win by half a length over Sir George Young in second and favourite Margaret Beckett a further length behind in third. Pulled up over late expenses query John Bercow and the pure bloodstock Frank Field was a non runner(He may run in ten months time due to public demand).

Posted by Simon Icke at 12:00am on June 21, 2009