On Wednesday the new Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow told MP’s that he demanded they give important Government announcements to the House of Commons first. It was absolutely implicit that they were to desist from the pattern of behaviour they have got into of dashing off to the Today Programme’s studio before having the courtesy to inform their elected colleagues.

I wrote on my blog then, that I wondered how it would be before this spin addled  Government broke this new expectation.

The answer is 36 hours.

This morning and afternoon Ed Balls the School’s Minister has been flouncing around the news rooms (and no doubt his people have been briefing the written media) talking about  his plan to scrap one of Labour’s key school polices; it was going to be announced in a white paper to be publsihed next Tuesday.

Read more here.

So this is Mr. Bercow’s first test. He had a very good time at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQ’s) on Wednesday, does he have the balls to tackle Balls? I hope so.

He was self assured (not something that any of his critics have doubted), fair and firm. The highlight was that he kept the hullaballoo down and made sure that as many questions were asked of Gordon Brown.

After the Prime Minister sat down at the last question, John Bercow read out a brief statement laying down some more of the expectations that he has on MP’s from all sides of the chamber. Chief amongst these was that he is demanding that Ministers announce emerging policy, facts and figures and the like to Parliament first, they must not speak to the media first.

Given that this Government spins like Spitfire’s propeller, it is going to be a real test of Bercow’s authority when one of them breaks this rule. Oh, and they will break it…

I am going to give the new Speaker 8 out of 10, he would have got 10 out of 10 if he had said, “Order, order, the Prime Minister hasn’t answered that question, would the Right Honourable Gentleman please answer it!”

The media and commentators are already speculating about the real reason why Labour wanted him in post and what his ‘enemies’ are going to do with him the minute they get a chance.

Personally I wish him all the best, everyone should hold onto their tongues and support him so that he can make the differences we want him to.

Mr Bercow has an opportunity to play a major part in rebuilding our fragile political system. Let’s get behind him and help make it happen.