The New Speaker
The one positive consequence of the expenses shambles is that, suddenly and, i feel, briefly, the reform of Parliament is top of the agenda. This will mean, among other things, in the conduct of business in the Chamber, and that, in turn, demands a new Speaker.
We were lucky: the candidates in this final ballot, Sir George Young and John Bercow, had been previously committed to Parliamentary Reform - both are members of Parliament First with independent minds who would stand up to both Government and Opposition Front Benches and defend the rights of the backbenchers.
John Bercow, the new Speaker, will need to be tough, not just at Prime Minister's Question Time but in the long run - in to the next General Election when the pressure will mount.
He's got off to a good start, cutting back on the flim-flam ritual and speeding up questions and answers. Now he needs to bring reform to Question Time generally. In the past the daily Departments' Question Times have made it far too easy for Ministers to avoid serious scrutiny.
The main task of Parliament is to call Government to account. We could do it so much better. Speaker Bercow should help us do this.