Saturday, February 06, 2010
White knight
It is a really busy day at Welsh Liberal Democrat Conference so I may not have time to blog again until much later. I will content myself for the time being therefore in observing that this interview in The Times in which Sir. George Young is being touted as the man who will come riding to the resue of Parliament is very conveniently timed.
Sir George Young of course, was the runner-up in the contest to become Speaker of the House of Commons and many MPs stil harbour ambitions to depose Speaker Bercow after the next election so as to install the bicycling baronet in his place.
It cannot do any harm therefore to be portrayed as a scion of virtue even if actually delivering on a reform agenda may prove impossible. As the current Speaker is discovering taking MPs down this route is like herding cats in thunder. However, that will not concern his enemies in the Conservative Party, many of whom are more interested in getting rid of him than in advancing a reform agenda.
I am not suggesting that Sir George is endorsing or encouraging any of this activity, just that the more publicity of this sort he gets the better are the chances of success of the putative coup d'grace later this year.
Sir George Young of course, was the runner-up in the contest to become Speaker of the House of Commons and many MPs stil harbour ambitions to depose Speaker Bercow after the next election so as to install the bicycling baronet in his place.
It cannot do any harm therefore to be portrayed as a scion of virtue even if actually delivering on a reform agenda may prove impossible. As the current Speaker is discovering taking MPs down this route is like herding cats in thunder. However, that will not concern his enemies in the Conservative Party, many of whom are more interested in getting rid of him than in advancing a reform agenda.
I am not suggesting that Sir George is endorsing or encouraging any of this activity, just that the more publicity of this sort he gets the better are the chances of success of the putative coup d'grace later this year.
