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Election of the Deputy Speakers

I want to make just one brief point, which I hope will be listened to. We are accepting the principle of a more obvious democratic process—voting for Deputy Speakers—but I raise this one concern. It is difficult and dangerous to appear to be talking in this way about moving towards further democracy within the House, but I am concerned that the election of a Deputy Speaker could be used as a means of leverage—a means of punishment of, or expression of a lack of confidence in, a sitting Speaker. That is one possible danger. Under the current process, although the appointment of Deputy Speakers is at the discretion of the House, they are very much part of a team. I can imagine that the stresses and strains of being part of a Speakership team are significant, and it is important not to get ourselves into a situation in which the House might elect a Deputy Speaker against the wishes of a Speaker with whom the House had fallen out. Question put and agreed to.