John Bercow: Up to MPs to lift Commons applause ban

John Bercow - who rebuked SNP MPs for clapping in the Commons - says it is up to MPs to lift the applause ban.

Speaking at the Edinburgh Festival, the Commons Speaker said: "If the House wants to change its procedures, it can, if they vote to do so."

MPs currently register their approval by shouting: "Hear, hear!" - clapping is considered un-Parliamentary.

But if MPs lifted the ban on applause, the Speaker promised to be "the servant of that new procedure".

Mr Bercow made his remarks, which were reported by the Herald, external at a fringe event organised by the University of Edinburgh's Business School.

He pointed out that currently the Commons "doesn't like applause as a method of approval".

Last May, Mr Bercow told SNP MPs to stop clapping during a speech by the SNP leader at Westminster Angus Robertson.

He advised them: "The convention that we do not clap in this chamber is very, very long established and widely respected, and it would be appreciated if members showed some respect for that convention."

The SNP heeded the Speaker's request and stopped clapping in the chamber although the Scottish Nationalist MP, Mhairi Black recently remarked: "So you're not allowed to clap like an ordinary person, but you're allowed to bray like a donkey."

Clapping is permitted in the Scottish Parliament.

After the general election the number of SNP MPs went up from six to 56 - it's now the third largest party at Westminster.

Clapping aside, the Speaker praised the party for its behaviour and attitude in Parliament.

Mr Bercow: "I think the significant thing is that, whatever you think of the SNP, their Parliamentary party has said something very significant by its behaviour since May about group solidarity.

"They turn up in large numbers, they turn up very regularly, they turn up to support each other and a lot of them are already proving to be very good parliamentarians."

The Speaker, who must maintain strict political impartiality, added: "It's not for me to support the SNP or oppose the SNP and I wouldn't dream of doing so, but I'm simply saying respect where it's due."

As an example of SNP influence, he cited the Commons row over changing the rules in England and Wales on hunting with dogs,

Mr Bercow said: "They have already scored a notable political victory - I'm not making any comment on the merits or otherwise of the arguments - in the sense that there was to be a vote brought forward on the subject of hunting and whether to amend the law on hunting to liberalise it somewhat.

"The government chose not to bring forward that measure and that did follow the announcement by the SNP that they would in fact vote against the government. I think there is a link there and I think they certainly packed a punch on that subject."