John Bercow

Now here's a strange story. Mr Bercow is a short, noisy, self-important man who was for quite some time a firebrand of the right. Then he met a girl, of leftish tendencies, got married and went wet. In fact he went very wet indeed, with the speed and totality of a Pauline conversion.

Soon Bercow's name became whispered as a possible defector to New Labour and he accepts a job from Gordon Brown. Speculation reaches fever pitch as Labour insiders whisper there will be a further couple of defections during the conference season.

Then we learn from Conservative Home that he has been readopted by his constituency.

So, the good Conservatives of Buckingham have decided that a man with will-o'-the-wisp political views, who has accepted a job from the Labour Party (showing him to be either dishonest or incredibly naive) is the best person to represent them.

It defies belief. Really, I sometimes think these people are determined not to form a government.