The speaker’s chair was like a scene from a Caravaggio canvas. Either side was a whirl of flailing arms and concerned faces bathed in soft chiaroscuro, each one trying desperately to get their view across.
Out in front, concerned-looking Clerks sat and conferred. At the centre of it of all sat the man himself, John Bercow, stroking his chin and listening to the commotion around him.
Bercow, slap bang in the middle of drama. Just the way he likes it. The issue at hand was a tied vote – 310-310 – the first in the House of Commons since 1993 during the Maastricht hoo-haa.
MPs were voting on whether to hold a third round of indicative votes on Monday as put up by Hilary Benn (Lab, Leeds Central) to help break the Brexit impasse. Boisterous Mark Francois (Con, Rayleigh and Wickford) suggested the decision fall to a People’s Vote. What a helpful chap.
House speaker John Bercow sat in the middle of the drama as MPs from across the UK voted on whether to hold a third round of indicative votes to help break the Brexit impasse
The deadlock meant the Speaker had to cast his deciding vote. Precedent required him to reject the motion. Such a move could have been helpful to the Government. That’ll sting Bercow. May require ointment.
Another knife-edge vote followed, on a Bill brought by Sir Oliver Letwin (Con, West Dorset) and Yvette Cooper (Lab, Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford) forcing the Prime Minister to rule out a No Deal Brexit, this one squeaking through 315-310. In other words, it was yet another day of Brexit high drama.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister had endured a highly lively PMQs. The government backbenches now resemble a Wild West saloon.
Opposing factions eye one another suspiciously. Such is the undercurrent of menace, you feel at any moment the scene could erupt into a chair-smashing melee.
Mrs May’s decision on Tuesday to invite Jeremy Corbyn to help break the impasse is, for most of them, the final straw. Yesterday, several Tory MPs openly turned on her. Yes, they still cheered her occasional sallies but through forked tongues.
With Mrs May due to meet
