Speaker Bercow falls at first hurdle

The new Commons Speaker John Bercow has warned ministers that he will not put up with them announcing policies to the media before they tell the Commons about them.
 
It's a worthy ambition but, sadly, it's also something numerous previous Speakers have attempted, but to absolutely no effect. And it looks like Bercow's words will also fall on deaf ears.
 
Within moments of him delivering his warning in the Commons - after his first stint in the Chair at Prime Minister's Questions - Tory frontbencher Crispin Blunt leapt to his feet to ask when the Government was going to announce the creation of a new cyber security chief, to oversee the protection of the nation's computer infrastructure.
 
Blunt seemed surprised it had not already been announced in the Commons for the simple reason he had read full details of the appointment of "senior civil servant" Neil Thompson to the job in this morning's Independent newspaper.
 
The formal announcement was to be made by security minister Lord West tomorrow, but just about everybody and his dog now knows what the job is and who is going to be doing it.
 
Speaker Bercow may want to take the matter up with ministers - but that is when he will hit his first brick wall. No one is likely to own up to briefing the media so his inquiries will, inevitably, prove pointless. ·