COMMONS Speaker John Bercow may be ousted by his Tory opponents after the General Election, it has emerged.
Changes to parliamentary procedures to make it easier for him to be removed from his post following the poll on May 7.
Leader of the Commons William Hague has tabled a motion calling for a secret ballot to be held if anyone objects when the standard post-election proposal to reinstall the Speaker is made.
The rules will be changed to ensure a secret ballot when the newly-elected MPs return to vote on Mr Bercow's survival.
The Speaker has frequently clashed with Prime Minister David Cameron, and is known to have ruffled feathers within his own party.
In April last year Mr Bercow cut the Prime Minister off mid-sentence. When Mr Cameron tried to protest that he had not finished, the Speaker hit back: "He can take it from me that he is finished."
One senior Conservative was quoted as saying said it is no surprise that he had been reportedly targeted. Another MP was quoted as describing the move as 'payback time.'
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