John Bercow will today face MPs for the first time since a row erupted over his recommended candidate for the post of clerk of the House.
The Speaker will make a statement in the chamber over his choice of Carol Mills, an Australian who is currently head of the department of parliamentary services in Canberra.
MPs have voiced concerns about Ms Mills’s lack of knowledge of Westminster procedures and believe she is too inexperienced for the prestigious £200,000-a-year position, which combines the clerk’s duties as a key constitutional adviser with the role of chief executive of the Commons.
The Speaker is understood to favour splitting the post of clerk in two and handing her the administrative role.
An influential committee will meet today to discuss the Speaker’s expected statement. Bernard Jenkin, chairman of the public administration select committee, said he would be arguing for a pre-appointment hearing with Ms Mills if she was to be chosen.
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