John Bercow's successor as Common's Speaker delivers rules slapdown

John Bercow's successor as Speaker of the House of Commons has delivered a slapdown to his predecessor.

Lindsay Hoyle said he was introducing measures to the rein in the Speaker's ability to change parliamentary procedure - or at least make it more awkward to do so.

The move comes after a number of, mostly Conservative MPs accused Mr Bercow of tearing up a convention in a bid to stop Brexit.

Under Sir Lindsay’s plan, the Common's Clerk will have the power to lay a letter in the Commons Library setting out that a ruling by the speaker has been made against his objections.

Sir Lindsay told MPs: “As speaker of the House, I am committed to transparency, but I am also mindful that frank advice must be protected confidentially.

John Bercow was seen as taking a radical approach to Common's convention (PA)

“To balance these principles, I have written to the clear of the House to establish a new procedure modelling on the power of accounting officers to seek ministerial direction.

“The procedure will apply if I take a decision as speaker which the clerk of the House considers comprises a substantial breach of standing orders or a departure form longstanding convention without appropriate authorisation from the House itself.

“In such a case, the clerk of the House will be empowered to lay a statement of his views in the library and I will always make the House aware that this has been done.”