That list doesn't say that the Speakers were Conservatives, rather that before they assumed the office they were Conservatives.
That's a little Socratic, tjw! Shhh ... Be careful that Bestbear doesn't hear ... :wink:
Start again. The point I was making is that the reason that the Conservatives were so good at observing the convention of not opposing the Speaker in a general election was that, for most of the twentieth century, the speaker was drawn from their own ranks.
Point made?
Spartacus
That's a little Socratic, tjw! Shhh ... Be careful that Bestbear doesn't hear ... :wink:
Socratic - I thought we'd established elsewhere that personal insults weren't allow, bloody Socrates. :lol:
Start again. The point I was making is that the reason that the Conservatives were so good at observing the convention of not opposing the Speaker in a general election was that, for most of the twentieth century, the speaker was drawn from their own ranks.
Point made?
I can see your point, though naturally had to be a pedantic bastard like what I am...however, I don't see the connexion between the Speaker having been drawn from the ranks of the Conservatives and their willingness not to contest the Speaker's seat.
That's a little Socratic, tjw! Shhh ... Be careful that Bestbear doesn't hear ... :wink:
Socratic - I thought we'd established elsewhere that personal insults weren't allow, bloody Socrates. :lol:
Start again. The point I was making is that the reason that the Conservatives were so good at observing the convention of not opposing the Speaker in a general election was that, for most of the twentieth century, the speaker was drawn from their own ranks.
Point made?
I can see your point, though naturally had to be a pedantic bastard like what I am...however, I don't see the connexion between the Speaker having been drawn from the ranks of the Conservatives and their willingness not to contest the Speaker's seat.
Shh ... do I hear someone mixing hemlock? :wink:
Yes, you are, of course, correct that the Speaker becomes non-party when s/he is elected. But it would take greater naivete than you or I have to pretend that either his/her ex-colleagues or constituents would not continue to regard him/her - at least subliminally - as "one of their own".
Spartacus
Yes, you are, of course, correct that the Speaker becomes non-party when s/he is elected. But it would take greater naivete than you or I have to pretend that either his/her ex-colleagues or constituents would not continue to regard him/her - at least subliminally - as "one of their own".
I don't think the current one is regarded as "one of their own" by most Tories.
Yes, you are, of course, correct that the Speaker becomes non-party when s/he is elected. But it would take greater naivete than you or I have to pretend that either his/her ex-colleagues or constituents would not continue to regard him/her - at least subliminally - as "one of their own".
I don't think the current one is regarded as "one of their own" by most Tories.
He is, though.
Spartacus
Rumour had it that Bercow was about the "Cross the floor" to Labour.
Apparently, only 3 Tories voted for him to be Speaker.
Not quite "one of their own". More of a double agent.
Rumour had it that Bercow was about the "Cross the floor" to Labour.
Apparently, only 3 Tories voted for him to be Speaker.
Not quite "one of their own". More of a double agent.
Hmmm ... maybe.
I don't remember anything about that in the press or even in the blogs but maybe you can enlighten me.
It's a rum business right enough ... but politicians are a rum lot. One of the things I realised during the period of my life when I was moving around quite a lot was that many politicians aren't as tribal as they seem. I've met Labour and Liberal politicians in the North who, were they living in the South, would have been quite happy to be Tories if it meant getting into local government ... and vice-versa.
Spartacus
I tok my information from the Today show on BBC radio 4 - which I think can be counted as press (media at least).
Political interviews from both sides seemed to confirm this.
Not sure if there is a link to it on the web, but google might offer something.