lemongrove
For the benefit of some I should have added...his comments in the HOC constantly favoured the Labour side of the House, therefore he appeared to have been a Labour MP himself before he became the Speaker.OK? ?
No Lemongrove his comments in the Commons constantly favoured PARLIAMENT as the Tories tried to circumvent its rules, laws and customs. Had the opposition done the same he would no doubt have treated them in the same way. They didn't so he couldn't.
He has to be impartial which means he will apply to same rules to both sides should he need to do so. A Speaker does not have to be neutral which would, indeed, have meant that he could not do something to one side unless he did it to the other however they had behaved. That would be silly.
It seems some people have got Government and Parliament confused as well as impartiality and neutrality. They are not the same.