Charles Walker, who looks like he's fighting back tears, say he's been "played like a fool" by government ministers, who he saw yesterday and did not mention anything about the motion). But he says that when he goes home and looks in the mirror he'll see an "honourable fool" looking back at him. "I would much rather be an honourable fool... than a clever man," he concludes - to a very rare (and not strictly allowed) round of applause and standing ovation from MPs on the Labour benches. Very surreal scenes in the House indeed.

“I admire you and I’m a friend of yours,” begins the Tory chair of the Procedure Committee Charles Walker. He says they both share a weakness: a temper – which they must temper in future. Getting back to his committee’s report, he tells Mr Bercow it shouldn’t be about you, “and it is becoming about you” – which he fears is what the government wanted. He says it does not reflect well on the government.

"It is a spiteful attempt to get rid of a Speaker who has the temerity to stand up for this House. And it's a cynical attempt to bring the Speakership into play and use it as a bargaining chip in coalition negotiations because the Tories have accepted that they cannot win a majority," Ms Eagle continues - and urges the House to vote the motion down.

"This is an appalling and shabby way to treat the House," declares Angela Eagle, the shadow leader of the House of Commons, whose sister, Maria, is sitting next to her .It essentially creates a motion of no confidence in any incumbent Speaker at the beginning of each new parliament, she warns - before attacking the government's handling of the motion.

tweets, external :Rumours flying that Tories are secretly in league with DUP to make Nigel Dodds Speaker .... part of a Tory-DUP pact after election

MPs are now debating a motion relating to House procedures - which includes proposed rule changes to the election of a Speaker. Commons Leader William Hague is addressing MPs from the despatch box, as he takes the lead for the government.

Conservative Conor Burns laments the "bitter" and "partisan" tone of the debate - a far cry from the usual end-of-term bonhomie. A response from Mr Hague is followed by a point of order from Sir Tony Baldry,who notes the Church of England's appointment of its first female diocesan bishop. The Venerable Rachel Treweek, Archdeacon of Hackney, is to become the next Bishop of Gloucester,

It pains me to say it but he has betrayed the House, Labour's Jonathan Reynolds says of Mr Hague. But Conservative Matthew Offord, who follows next, comes to Mr Hague's defence, saying the government is entitled to table what business it wants on government days. He also objects to some MPs seemingly suggesting that Thursday is a "day off" for the House.

Mr Hague is getting some a fair amount of flak from his own backbenchers on this one. Tory Philip Davis confesses to being a big admirer of the leader of the House, but he goes on to say it was "unjustifiable" to keep the motion "secret, until the last minute". The tactics deployed are the kind of student union politics that has the fingerprints of the Whips' Office all over it, he adds. He predicts that Mr Hague will regret going along with it. Repsonding, Mr Hague says the MP is entitled to his views - and notes that the vote to be taken later is a free vote.

Does the leader of the house regret that his distinguished career in parliament should come to an end with "a bit of parliamentary jiggery pokery" because a number of MPs hold a grudge towards Mr Bercow? asks Conservative MP Jacob Reees Mogg.

Mr Hague says he doesn't believe that's what is happening.

Shadow Leader of the House Angela Eagle gets to her feet and says she has never seen a government act in such a "grubby and underhand way". She asks why the government which "has refused to allow this debate for the last three and half years" decided that it was so urgent it needed to be dealt with today. She's also annoyed that Mr Hague didn't speak to her about the motion. Ms Eagle says the prime minister hates his government being properly scrutinised.

Image source, Reuters

Vince Cable has insisted the Liberal Democrats will not support the Conservatives' European Union referendum proposal, amid claims Nick Clegg do a deal.

The Business Secretary said it would be "disastrous" for the UK to leave the EU as he warned a "prolonged hiatus" ahead of a 2017 in-out vote would be "very, very damaging" for employment.

He told MPs: "I and my party will certainly not go along with that."

In response to a point of order, Speaker John Bercow confirms that he will remain in the seat during today's debates on changing the election system for the Speaker. He tells MPs he will "remain in this chair today and hopefully for days to come".

In the Commons Peter Hain asks for the remit of the public inquiry into undercover policing to be extended to "include surveillance of MPs publicly named by Peter Francis".

Between 1990 and 2001, Peter Francis claims to have personally seen records relating to Diane Abbott, the late Tony Benn, Jeremy Corbyn, the late Bernie Grant, Harriet Harman, Ken Livingstone, Joan Ruddock, Dennis Skinner, Jack Straw, and Mr Hain. Read more here.

The future success of the aerospace industry in the UK is secure, the business secretary said today. Liberal Democrat Vince Cable said the government's long-term commitment meant they had defied doubters. He told MPs: "To be frank, when I came in I was warned by the industry that it was gradually drifting away overseas, that we would no longer be able to claim we are the second aerospace power in the world. But I think with the big long-term commitment we have made, its future is secure, including that of Airbus."