These are two videos I made of John Bercow, Speaker of the House, outlining his vision to revive the Chamber in the House of Commons to the Hansard Society on Wednesday. In the top video, he describes how he is keen to get more ministers back into the Chamber, provide more question opportunities for MPs, increase the number of private members’ bills, introduce shorter debates (including one which is determined by public petition) – and is considering a change of working hours and weeks which would fit around the school holidays. He asks, “Why be allergic to experimentation?”

In the second video, he describes the makeup of the 2010 Parliament as something of “a quiet revolution”, but concedes that women’s representation is still below the desired level. When asked by Prof Sarah Childs, Professor of Politics and Gender at Bristol University, about his plans to implement the recommendations made in the Speaker’s Conference, he agreed that he wanted this to happen quickly, and that all parties had signed up to it – Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg personally. He said that each of them had competed against each other in enthusiasm in the concept and its direction – so let’s make it happen as quickly as possible!

Watch this space!!