Predictably, the first question asked of all nine candidates concerned the man they want to replace: John Bercow. Had the incumbent damaged his office’s reputation for impartiality?
Only one candidate, the former Tory minister Shailesh Vara, answered the question without qualification — and gave a straight no. Comparing Bercow to a playground bully – a phrase he returned to throughout the hustings – he claimed he had demeaned his office.
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