New House of Commons Speaker

[Razzle09]

What are the chances of us having John Wick as the new speaker or is Anne Widdecombe the hot favourite?!

[paraffin]

John Wick?

[Razzle09]

Hi Paraffin. John Wick was the whistleblower who exposed the MP's expenses - I think he should have put himself forward for the position, Im sure if it counted on public votes he would win in a landslide.

[leggysreturn]

apparently mgt beckkett is the boookies fave not anne the hobbit widdicombe

[Schutzengel]

Quite hoping it will be Anne Widdicombe, as I think she would be able to keep them in order, and she has good moral sense.

[jake-the-peg]

Wick was behind 16 now failed businesses and has accumulated more than �7 million in debts, suggesting that could have been a motive behind his role in the disclosure of expenses, but Wick has said the money he gained from selling the information is to cover possible legal bills.

Perfect

[jake-the-peg]

Er for legal bills read "legal expenses"

Who says irony is dead

[paraffin]

Thanks Razzle for enlightening my ignorance!

Unfortunately, although I think it's a great "shout", it could never happen as long as the "Honourable Members" have a stranglehold on the voting system for the new Speaker.

I don't believe that Ann Widdicombe is favourite - unfortunately - I'd love to see her making some of them go stand in the corner for 10 minutes!

[Bobbisox]

hello razzle, I believe Ms Widdercombe would be very formidable, but there is talk of the Labour whip getting people to vote for Margaret Beckett, one of their own , they are clinging on by their finger tips as is were

[Razzle09]

Joy is that you...where have you been?

[chinadog]

Anne Widdecombe!!

[Bobbisox]

hello razz, yepo it's me pet, you ok?

[jake-the-peg]

There is talk

Yes mostly in the Telegraph, Times and Mail.

Any evidence for this at all? or should we just assume it's yet another ploy of the papers to influence Government.

Is there a single MP that claims whips have asked them to vote for Margaret Backett? or is this all made up?

And is that the Anne Widdecome MP that expensed �9,000 on a newspaper cuttings service?

Or a different Anne Widdecombe MP

[Bobbisox]

yes china, she's in the running for it, I think there are 10 candidates, supposed to be keeping it low key due the expenses row, the whole bloody lot are corrupted, allegedley Blair has told Brown he wanted the Iraq enqiry to be a private one,,,, can't think why, tell that to the people who have lost a daughter, son, father or aunt who have been fighting there

[jake-the-peg]

Allegedly David Cameron is a Brazilian transvesite called Lola.

Allegedly

[Mctavish]

Anne Widdecombe

[Bobbisox]

jake do you really think we would be privvy to any MP who would say the whip has asked them to back Beckett, I think not, I agree with you about Ann Widdercombes expenses too, but then again so has Alan Beith Ms Beckett,and John Bercow to name another three in the running,also made over inflated claims, so yes it is the same Ann Widdercombe

[Schutzengel]

Newspaper cuttings services are very expensive, and it doesn't say over what period these charges were incurred. At least it shows that Anne Widdicombe is on the ball, and keeping up with events which are related to her work as an M.P, A far better use of her expenses than some which have been reported, such as vastly expensive duck houses, and claiming for non-existent mortgages, etc. etc.

[Oneeyedvic]

And is that the Anne Widdecome MP that expensed �9,000 on a newspaper cuttings service?

Well putting it in context - the �9000 was over a period of 4 years. And at a cost of 75 p per article.

Would it have made more sense (or would you have preferred it) for her to get a secretary to read through every paper and highlight everything that mentioned AW (on a salary of a minimum of �5.85 per hour).

After all, if a secretary 'wastes' time, that doesn't matter - or at least it doesn't make such good headlines does it?

[Bobbisox]

am I the only one here who has seen footage of Ann
declaring she will stand?, if not why the,



Anne Widdecombe!!
from chinadog and again from Mctavish????

[jno]

yes, Widdecombe is a candidate, as are nine others.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jun/22 /commons-speaker-election-plot

I think she'd be good. Paying a clippings service seems a reasonable expense for someone in her positiion.

Note the salary: �146,000 (including the MPs' standard wage).