Beckett emerging as front runner

It’s looking more and more as though Margaret Beckett is going to clinch the Speaker’s position later.

A coalition of Tory MPs who want to keep John Bercow out and Labour MPs who want someone who will be “kind” – that very word was used to me – will seal the deal for the former Foreign Secretary.

Word is that Labour whips have even been employed to garner support for Beckett, the thinking being she would also be “kind” to the Government.

Accordingly her odds have been shortened by the bookies.

There is a big question over whether Beckett would bring the kind of radical change called for.

Actually, there is a question over whether any Speaker has the power to bring about that type of transformation.