John Bercow faces new plot to oust him as Speaker after bias row with Tories

Commons Speaker John Bercow faces new plotting to oust him after being accused of bias during an argument with the Government chief whip.

The clash with Cabinet heavyweight Patrick McLoughlin marked a new low in relations between senior Conservatives and the Speaker.

At one point, Mr Bercow appeared to lose his usual cool and shout angrily while the Tory furiously accused him of helping Labour.

There have been a series of arguments between senior Conservatives and the Speaker. David Cameron, who has been regularly slapped down in the chamber, made a joke about the Speaker being a "dwarf" in a speech.

The latest row came at 10pm when Labour tried to block a Government motion cutting short Thursday's debate on student fees to a maximum of three hours. The Labour whip cried "object" in the wrong place but Mr Bercow corrected him and gestured with his hands the right moment to come in.

A senior government source said disgruntled MPs were hoping the Speaker would eventually do something "so ridiculous" that they could put forward a vote of no confidence.

"People are beginning to ask, Can we put up with this guy, is he neutral?'" the source said.

"He is being incredibly pompous and grand and does not know when to shut up — even shutting up David Cameron over silly things during Prime Minister's Questions.

"It's one thing being pro-backbencher, but if he is anti-Government then that's not the role of the Speaker. That is the growing view of quite a number of Lib-Dem and Conservative MPs."