It seems the culture of dirty play continues in Westminster. The race to become Commons Speaker turned ugly as rival candidates doubted each other's fitness to fill the post and a dirty tricks campaign, designed to stop the front runner, gathered pace.
Yesterday the 10 declared candidates faced each other publicly for the first time in a hustings. Several took a swipe at the bookmakers' favourite 46 year old Tory MP John Bercow, by stressing that long experience of the Commons was the most important qualification for filling the Speaker's chair.
Bercow is thought to be backed by up to 100 labour MPs but he is struggling to gain much support from his own side amid signs that some Conservatives are swinging behind an "anyone but Bercow" campaign.
Some journalists have been rather acerbic but if I was a betting woman I'd put £5 on Margaret Beckett not getting the job.
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