Sir George Young and Margaret Beckett confirmed their positions as frontrunners in the race for Speaker today with assured performances in front of colleagues as MPs prepared to make their choice.

Sir Alan Haselhurst also gave a stronger than expected performance, with MPs welcoming his call for larger salaries, while the Conservative John Bercow gave a speech steeped in historical context but appearing to irritate several on his own side.

The most outspoken contribution came from Parmjit Dhanda, the Labour MP for Gloucester and one of the outside bets for Speaker, who delivered a blunt and uncompromising message to colleagues that many MPs still "just don't get it". His speech is likely to be welcomed outside the House but is unlikely to receive much support amongst MPs.

Sir George, the Tory chairman of the Standards and Privilege Committee, is now the favourite to win, although the result is far from certain with Mrs Beckett and Mr Bercow still leading frontrunners.

Mrs Beckett, a former Leader of the Commons, insisted she would not be a roadblock to reform, despite reports that she was the favoured candidate of the Labour whips office. She insited that she would not block the election of select committee chairs but said the issue was not 'black or white', which is why she failed to back the move last week. She said MPs were facing a public "who know our strengths as well as you do and our faults better."

Trumpeting her record as Commons leader, she said she had pioneered the setting up of television cameras in Central Lobby and tape recorders for the press gallery.

In the event of a hung Parliament, she promised to be "fair minded and even handed".

Sir George gave the most impressive performance of the candidates. He said that chairing the Standards and Privileges committee, which punishes MPs who have broken the Parliamentary rules is "not a platform of choice" from which to try and get the support of colleagues. However, he said the role had showed his abilities to be impartial and the importance of being fair.

On the issue of reform following the expenses scandal, he said that a "bidding war to be the toughest loses sight of the principles of this house."

However, he said that proceedings needed to be "tilted in our favour" and away from the government.

We need to "change the government monopoly in the chamber," he said. "We have left behind the age of deference and need to arrive at the age of earned respect."

Sir George is widely regarded to be the choice of David Cameron and many of the Tory front bench. Earlier in Portcullis House, the Conservative leader appeared to be jokily praying for victory for Sir George while talking to Theresa Villiers, the shadow Transport secretary.

Ms Widdecombe, who saw a late surge in the betting this morning, appeared to be bidding to be the reality TV candidate for Speaker. She said that the next Speaker needs to be someone who the public "connects with.. and listens to" although she admitted that sometimes she has done this in the past by "vulgar means".

She also urged caution on the issue of reform, suggesting some other candidates had gone too far. Some candidates are standing on a "manifesto to elect a supreme dictator," she said.

Mr Bercow suggested that there was extensive precedent for having a young Speaker, even though at 46 he is not the youngest, pointing out that two of them went on to become Prime Minister.

"Even younger men can acquire wisdom," he said. He promised that as Speaker he would implement an agenda for renewal, saying that he understood the "overly mysterious procedures" of Parliament because he spent four years on the Speaker's panel.

Sir Alan Haselhurst, one of the deputy speakers, promised to champion the job done by MPs, many of whom supported the 70-hour week.

Sir Patrick Cormack, the veteran Conservative, said he remembered the days when MPs controlled their own agenda for debates, and this must be returned.

Richard Shepherd, a Tory who stood in 2000, suggested that Parliament had become confused with the government, and that MPs needed to show more independence from the executive.

Mr Dhanda gave one of the strongest speeches, insisting that some colleagues were still not responding to the public mood.

"Do we all really get it? Do we understand the level of public anger?," he asked, suggesting that the election of two BNP MEPs earlier this month was a sign of public mistrust of politicians.

Voting is conducted by secret ballot in the division lobbies, with the result expected at some point this evening depending on the number of rounds.

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