Speaker election heats up
‘It should have been the toughest of job interviews.
Ten
candidates applying for the post of Speaker at televised hustings
organised by the Hansard society, and facing cross questioning by their
fellow politicians – who, of course, are also their electorate.’ – BBC
Watch highlights from the hustings here – BBC
‘Some
Conservative MPs brief that if Bercow were to get the job he would be
kicked out after the election. In doing so they imply more widely that
the charm offensive of opposition would be replaced by the hob nail
boot once power had been safely secured. But even if a Conservative
government proves to be more ferociously partisan compared with poor
old timid New Labour I doubt if it will have cause to eject the
Speaker.’ – Steve Richards, The Independent
Latest poll
‘Reformers
could gain enough support to win a referendum on changing Britain’s
voting system, according to a Guardian/ICM poll published today. It
shows that support for all three main parties has suffered lasting
damage from the expenses scandal, amid distrust of the political
system, and more than half of voters back change.’ – Julian Glover, The Guardian
‘They
have made a great mistake in abandoning their original promise to track
Labour’s spending plans, which until now they stuck to like chewing gum
to a shoe, to Labour’s chagrin. Voters will readily believe them when
they promise severe cuts to public services. Why wouldn’t they?
Shrinking the state is what Conservatives always intend. But is it what
most voters want? In tomorrow’s Guardian ICM poll, Labour only
out-scores the Tories on one issue – better protecting public services
(even then, only just).’ – Polly Toynbee, The Guardian
A changed landscape
‘Instead, the US president today surveys a Middle Eastern landscape
that has changed over a single weekend, thanks to what looks like a
stolen election in Tehran and a policy climbdown by the prime minister
of Israel. These shifts raise searching questions about Obama’s entire
approach to foreign policy – and suggest that at least one key aspect
of it is not working.’ – Jonathan Freedland, The Guardian
‘Iran’s powerful Guardian Council says it is ready to recount disputed votes from Friday’s presidential poll.’ – BBC
‘It was Iran’s day of destiny and day of courage. A million of its
people marched from Engelob Square to Azadi Square – from the Square of
Revolution to the Square of Freedom – beneath the eyes of Tehran’s
brutal riot police. The crowds were singing and shouting and laughing
and abusing their “President” as “dust”.’ – Robert Fisk, The Independent
MPs’ expenses inquiry to begin
‘Commons
leader Harriet Harman and her Conservative and Liberal Democrat
opposite numbers, Alan Duncan and David Heath, are attending the first
public hearings.’ – Sky News
Iraq inquiry
‘Yesterday
was a significant moment in British politics; but not as significant as
it ought to have been. Six years and three months after British troops
entered Iraq as part of a US-led invasion force, the Prime Minister
announced that there is, at long last, to be an independent
investigation into the most controversial British military engagement
since the Suez crisis.’ – Leader, The Independent
‘The
inquiry Gordon Brown set out to the Commons yesterday, however, falls
woefully short of the task. For one thing, it is – for no better reason
than the precedent set by the Franks inquiry into the Falklands in the
bad old days of the 1980s – to meet in secret, before publishing a
report in a year’s time.’ – Editorial, The Guardian