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  1. Politics
8 September 2010updated 12 Oct 2023 10:13am

In praise of John Bercow, part 94

Speaker shows fearlessness by granting Commons time to debate NoW phone-tapping scandal.

By James Macintyre

This blog has praised John Bercow several times before, and today it has reason to do so again. The Speaker has decided to grant the House of Commons time tomorrow to debate the News of the World phone-tapping scandal, and whether or not the matter should be taken up by the Standards and Privileges Committee. In doing so, he has again demonstrated his supreme independence, his willingness to risk the wrath of the Tory party despite past plots among its backbenchers to unseat him.

He has also, following the decision by the Home Affairs Committee yesterday to investigate, ensured the story is given fresh “legs”.

Talking of which, Alastair Campbell has blogged on the question, raised earlier here, of his rule on how long a story’s victim can survive before he is toast.

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