A mountain to climb?
: to convince the Tories that he is worthy of the post.
I'd discount feverish talk of Tories already planning to remove him after the election when they expect to have a decent majority in the Commons and can impose their own Speaker. I suspect any incoming Tory government will have a lot more to worry about than Speaker Bercow and he'd really have to screw things up between now and the election for his removal to be on the agenda.
That said he has to establish his authority and impartiality. Just how hated - not to strong a word - he is on his own side could be seen from how most Tory MPs sat on their hands when his victory was announced. When the Father of the House called him to be Speaker a Tory MP heckled "Labour Speaker". When the Tory benches erupted in disagreement.
The fact is that most Tory MPs see Speaker Bercow as maverick Tory who has sucked up to Labour and, as a result, is disliked by his own side. They think that's why so many Labour MPs voted for him -- to appear non-partisan by voting for a Tory, but in fact installing one that the Tories detest.
These moods can change. If Speaker Bercow establishes his independence and integrity from the start and quickly begins the process of radical reform, then old hatreds will slowly die. If not, then the issue of who is Speaker will remain as contentious as it was under .
The wider public could be forgiven for thinking that, in the most crucial election for Speaker in living memory and at a time of crisis in parliamentary democracy, too many MPs voted for narrow party advantage and petty personal reasons rather than the broader needs of our democracy.
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