Tory plot to oust John Bercow flops after gathering backing of just five MPs

A TORY plot to oust John Bercow flopped last night after it gathered the formal backing of just five MPs.

The half-cocked attempt to dethrone the Commons Speaker collapsed despite a new poll showing public support for Mr Bercow to be sacked.

He had infuriated MPs after effectively banning Donald Trump from addressing Parliament ahead of the US President’s controversial state visit planned for this summer.

Mr Bercow had also found himself in hot water after footage emerged of him openly discussing having voted Remain in last year’s EU referendum.

Strict rules say that the Common’s Speakers must “remain impartial at all times”.

But a motion of no confidence in the Speaker — tabled before last week’s parliamentary recess by former Foreign Office Minister James Duddridge — had attracted only a handful of names last night.

Just five Tory MPs – Mr Duddridge, Daniel Kawczynski, Alec Shelbrooke, Karl McCartney and Andrew Bridgen – put their name to the motion.

Plotters had hoped to see a groundswell of support for their attempt to oust the Speaker during the week long Commons break.

They had previously believed they had the support of more than 100 MPs and a dozen Cabinet Ministers who wanted the Speaker to quit.

Last night an angry Mr Duddridge told The Sun: “Most MPs want Bercow gone but have not got the balls to sign the motion of no confidence.”

Speaking earlier at Westminster Hall Alex Salmond compared the attempt to the Gunpowder Plot — warning that it would also “fizzle out”.

The former Scottish First Minister said MPs from all parties would not allow Mr Bercow “to be removed on this issue”.

“The Gunpowder Plot, this new one, will fizzle out just as surely as the last one did,” he told MPs.

The damp squib came despite new polling showing that more members of the public want a new Speaker, than want Mr Bercow to stay in the job.

An ICM survey conducted in the last week found that 32 per cent of voters believe Mr Bercow “should resign or be removed because he’s not impartial”.

But only 30 per cent said that he should stay “because he is doing a good job”.

Last week Theresa May’s spokesman refused to back the Speaker, but said whether he was doing a good or bad job was a “matter for MPs”.