Thread by @lewis_goodall

Lindsay Hoyle on future of way Commons operates: “the genie is out of the bottle. We now need a written constitution.” #speakerhustings

.@RhonddaBryant: “Bercow was stretching rules on SO24...I hate it when legislation goes through house all in one day.”

.@RhonddaBryant: “I hate it when the chair is rude. I remember when Speaker Martin was extremely rude, especially to many young women in the House, it made my skin crawl.”

.@eleanor4epping: “Do you know why the Cox report [on bullying in Parliament] hasn’t been implemented? No. Neither do I.”

Rosie Winterton: “By and large my constituents think it would be a good thing for a Yorkshirewoman to be Speaker of the House of Commons.”

Wouldn’t be the first time, of course.

Hoyle says there’s a case to say when you become Speaker you stop representing a parliamentary seat.

Unarguable constitutional tidy up, I’d have thought.

Henry Bellingham says he’d revert to wearing full robes of the Speaker, including the wig (last worn by Jack Weatherill)

.@RhonddaBryant says he’d wear a morning suit. @HarrietHarman says “I wouldn’t.”

Most of the candidates agree they want to reduce the length of PMQs back to around 30 mins. @HarrietHarman says it shouldn’t be “a matter of dictat” but would help if number of questions from Leader of Opp were reduced. @RhonddaBryant says would help if Speaker spoke less himself

.@christopherhope doing sterling job of trying to keep all these wannabe speakers from speaking too much here, which they’re all rather keen on

.@RhonddaBryant: “I absolutely guarantee Parliament will have proper WiFi in every part of the building.”

That’s it, pass him the wig.

Lindsay Hoyle: “The Fixed Term Parliaments Act should be scrapped.”

Bryant clearly going for Anti-Harman Tory vote: “I want the Speaker to be an umpire not a player”

.@HarrietHarman on prorogation night mark 1: “you shouldn’t demonstrate in the chamber.” @Meg_HillierMP agrees: “one of the most unedifying nights”. Hoyle: “it did us no good...it was a bear pit.” @EdwardLeighMP: “Speaker should have been centre of quiet dignity.”

All v anti-Bercow, in the main, with notable exception of Harman

No mention of Rooney/Vardy yet

.@christopherhope asks how Speaker candidates voted in Brexit ref

Bellingham: leave
Bryant: remain
Harman: remain
Hillier: remain
Hoyle: won’t say
Laing: leave
Leigh: leave
Vara: remain
Winterton: remain

Winterton says she wants to ban clapping in the chamber.

Question from @Laura_K_Hughes should female MPs be allowed to breast feed in chamber/committees?

Bellingham: no
Bryant: yes
Harman: yes (but most wouldn’t want to)
Hillier: yes (but mat leave more important)
Hoyle: yes
Laing: no
Leigh: no
Vara: yes
Winterton: yes

On a question about whether there’s a drink problem in Parliament, Lindsay Hoyle says that there is but also that there’s “a drugs problem” in the building too.

Interesting hustings. V much got sense Harman is continuity Bercow (minus bullying). Bryant doing everything he can to prove he’s not continuity Bercow and appeal to Tories who don’t want Harman. Hoyle most traditional Speaker figure. Winterton dark horse.

To coin a phrase, let’s get on with it. Can’t wait to see Ken Clarke oversee the election (that is if he’s not prime minister by then)

Chris Bryant’s pitch. Might as well just have written “I’m not John Bercow” and been done with it