No Mr Speaker, we don't detest it

John Bercow, the pain that is the Speaker of the House of Commons has pronounced that Harriet Harman and future Leaders of the Opposition will have the number of questions they are allowed to ask at Prime Minister's Questions cut. Apparently we, the public, 'detest' the 'cut and thrust' of PMQs. Do we really? I for one don't want to turn my TV on a Wednesday at 12 o'clock and see our MPs sitting quietly, politely asking questions and Ministers giving bland, civil service responses. I want the Prime Minister, of whatever political party, to be subject to aggressive interrogation on the floor of the House. A little theatre and a little barracking here and there wouldn't go a miss too.

This is the latest of Mr Bercow's 'reforms' to the House which have included some positive steps....well a couple at most. Otherwise Mr Bercow has been a disaster as Speaker. Elected in a move designed to do nothing but annoy the Conservative Party, Mr Bercow has no respect for the traditions and history of Parliament - shown by the fact that one of his first acts as Speaker was to drop the Speaker's ceremonial dress. Since then we've seen him use his official apartment to provide free accommodation for his nanny, his wife exploit her position as the Speaker's wife to mount a political career supporting the Labour Party and a series of over-zealous, politically-correct moves designed to make the Commons more in to line with the 21st Century.

I would say only this to Mr Bercow and his attempts at reform. It is not for him to reform the House, it is for the House to reform itself. As Speaker Lenthall said 'I have not eyes to see nor tongue to speak in this place, but as the House shall direct me, whose servant I am.'