The hallowed corridors of Westminster are abuzz with speculation that the starting gun may have been fired in the race to eventually succeed Sir Lindsay Hoyle as Commons Speaker. The catalyst is Deputy Speaker Nusrat Ghani, whose commanding performance chairing the stormy Budget debate has positioned her as a formidable potential candidate.
A Star Turn in the Chair
Nusrat Ghani's stern but fair manner while presiding over the contentious debate won her many admirers, both in Parliament and beyond. The 53-year-old, Kashmir-born Tory MP for a marginal Sussex seat even sported a tie borrowed from fellow Conservative MP Lincoln Jopp for the occasion, adding to the buzz. Her assured handling of proceedings has led to fevered chatter in the Commons tea room, with insiders suggesting she has emerged as the early favourite.
One Westminster insider was quoted saying, 'Nus looks like the candidate to beat when and if Lindsay calls it a day.' The source added a crucial political calculation: 'For Nus, it has to be before the next election because it looks like Reform will win her seat in Sussex, which is a tricky marginal seat. Of course, if she's already Speaker, she'd be fine as the main parties won't put up candidates against her.'
Hoyle's Future and Labour's Ambitions
However, any contest remains hypothetical for now. There are no indications that Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the 68-year-old Labour MP for Chorley first elected in 1997, is planning to vacate the Speaker's chair before the next general election. He has held the role since November 2019.
Furthermore, should he step down, the convention that the speakership alternates between major parties could be challenged. With Labour currently commanding 404 MPs to the Conservatives' 119, it is heard they may vote for one of their own. Rumoured Labour candidates include Business Minister Sir Chris Bryant, who has previously sought the role, and Dame Meg Hillier, the chair of the Commons Treasury Select Committee.
Westminster Whispers: Beards, Cats, and Ambition
The gossip from SW1 extends beyond the Speaker's chair. In a lighter note, Defence Minister Al Carns, a former Royal Marines colonel, has shaved off his recent blond beard, perhaps avoiding any festive confusion with Santa.
Meanwhile, Sue Gray, now Baroness Gray, formerly the Prime Minister's chief of staff, has left a quirky legacy at the Cabinet Office. Her two rescue cats, Evie and Ossie, are reportedly so poorly behaved that staff have been instructed to shut office doors at night to prevent feline accidents on desks.
Ambition is also on display. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has taken to perching on the steps by the Speaker's Chair during PMQs, a move attributed by Labour insiders to frontbench colleagues refusing to 'bunch up' for him due to suspicions about his leadership manoeuvrings.
In local news, Labour-controlled Camden has seen a 48 per cent rise in rough sleeping over three years, a crisis that has drawn criticism for local MP Keir Starmer's silence. Elsewhere, Jeremy Corbyn's commitment to his new 'Your Party' is being questioned, as he still lists himself as an 'Independent MP' online, while rival Zarah Sultana has already adopted the new party label.
