Quentin Letts, the Daily Mail sketchwriter who led the campaign against Michael Martin, was not impressed by "this greasling, this vaunting squeaker, this steaming floater [John] Bercow".
Ann Treneman in the Times says that half the MPs who want to be Speaker should avoid speaking because they are so dull and that Bercow is the "most irritating".
Andrew Gimson in the Daily Telegraph says Bercow was "lucid but alarmingly self-righteous" and that Sir George Young would be an excellent Speaker because "he stands in the best public-school tradition: fair-minded, honourable and ready to accept any reasonable reform in order to preserve an institution, in this case the Commons."
Simon Hoggart in the Guardian says that all the candidates were trying to be high-minded and that "Richard Shepherd would be a wonderful Speaker except for his habit of breaking down in tears at the end of every speech".
Simon Carr in the Independent says the Speaker hustings showed "the classic symptoms of modern voting" because most MPs who will be voting did not turn up to listen.
And Steve Richards in the Independent says he would vote for Bercow because "he was a moderniser while David Cameron was still preaching the virtues of section 28".
Alex Smith at LabourList marks all the candidates, quotes what they said and concludes that Sir Patrick Cormack performed best at the hustings.
Mike Smithson at PoliticalBetting gives his verdict on the hustings and concludes that the winner will be the Margaret Beckett/Sir Alan Beith/Sir George Young candidate who manages to maximise all the anti-Bercow votes.
Benedict Brogan on his blog says that there was no clear winner from the hustings and that Bercow was "surprisingly wooden".
Sam Coates at the Times's Red Box says there was "more than a touch of naked self interest" about what the candidates were saying.
Douglas Carswell, the Tory MP who tabled the motion calling for Martin's resignation, says on his blog the hustings suggested MPs want to elect a "shop steward, not a Speaker".
Jonathan Isaby at ConservativeHome says Bercow is the right choice for Speaker because he recognises the importance of parliament, but believes in the need for radical reform.
