Simon Burns

Conservative Party | Chelmsford West

Westminster View- July 2009

2nd July 2009

I suspect never before in living memory has the election of a new Speaker of the House of Commons received so much coverage and attention as the election last week of Speaker John Bercow. And it is clear to see why. This internal House of Commons election was important because of the unparalleled political time we find ourselves in and the urgent need for Parliamentary reform.

As I have said before, the last few weeks have been hugely damaging for politicians of all Parties and the public have every right to be angry about how politicians have treated Parliamentary expenses. Voters must have confidence in those they elect to represent them. Sadly, over the past few weeks, this trust has been deeply eroded.

The bad news is that the Speaker of the House cannot wave a magic wand and put everything right. But we should see this moment as an opportunity, and the Speaker does have a uniquely important role to play in setting the ground rules for Parliamentary reform and for ensuring that we have a workable expenses system. That means it must reduce the overall cost of politics; ensure full transparency; and rebuild the trust and confidence of the public.

So far we have seen small reforms. The new Speaker will not wear tights, or an elaborate gown and wig. But these do not matter. The reforms we need to see must be wide-ranging and deep. The task that awaits the new Speaker is therefore considerable.

It is also worth remembering that Parliamentary reform must go beyond the issue of expenses alone. This is maybe the most important and pressing issue which needs to be addressed, but further improvements to the way in which our Parliamentary system operates are required. For example, no longer should Government Ministers be allowed to make key policy announcements on The Today Programme instead of making them in the House of Commons and facing democratic scrutiny; the use of Parliamentary time should be reassessed to ensure that there is opportunity for Members to adequately debate and scrutinise important pieces of legislation; and Committees’ powers should be strengthened, and their independence from the Government of the day enhanced, by ensuring that Committee chairman are elected on merit, not appointed by the Whips. And, at a time when our political system is facing a crisis of confidence amongst the public, the Speaker should be an ambassador for our home of democracy. He needs to restore trust and faith in what we do and how we do it.

This is a big task, but a crucial one. However, the new Speaker should know that in discharging his responsibilities he will have the support of our Benches, and, I'm sure, of all Benches of the Commons.

In terms of expenses, we share a collective responsibility for what went wrong. We now share a collective responsibility for putting it right. The Speaker's success will enable all politicians to succeed in that.