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A senior Conservative MP has told the BBC there is increasing anger about the Speaker's performance and some of his colleagues want him to stand down.
No MP has publicly called for John Bercow to go, but the BBC's political correspondent Nick Robinson said there was dissent about a ruling yesterday that the Tories should not ask government ministers questions about the Unite union's funding of the Labour party.
Yesterday transport minister Sadiq Khan came to the Commons to answer an urgent question about the BA strikes.
Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers started to ask if the government's stance was affected by the £11m given to Labour by the union, when the Speaker intervened.
"There is for parliamentary purposes a distinction between the Labour party on the one hand and the government on the other, and it is in relation to the responsibilities of the government that she must focus her remarks and questions," he said.
Later in the session he allowed Labour backbencher Dennis Skinner to raise Lord Ashcroft's donations to the Conservative party, but intervened when Tory MP Mark Pritchard tried to raise Unite.
Pritchard later protested and implied the Speaker was taking his cues from ministers.
"Moments ago you rebuked me, I think unfairly, but I stand by your ruling, he said.
"However, after my question there was a pause, whereupon I saw the minister of state appear to prompt you.
"I'm sure that was not the case because of course you can rebuke me in your own right."
Mr Speaker flatly denied the allegation.
"I saw no sign whatsoever from any member of the Treasury bench and for you to suggest that I would be prompted in this House, from the chair, by another Member, to make a comment or response is quite wrong and an unacceptable observation on your part.
"Let me very politely suggest to you, whose behaviour was untoward, that it would be sensible and rational of you simply to accept the rebuke, to call it a day, and to move on.
"That is the end of the matter."
Speaking on the Daily Politics, Robinson said there has been criticism of the Speaker's peformance in recent weeks.
At prime minister's questions last week Mr Speaker attacked Tory MP Simon Burns, calling him "boorish," which angered some of his colleagues.
Robinson said the anger might be "mostly among Tories, but wider criticism of his performance in recent weeks is felt across the party divide."
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd