John Bercow allows Dennis Skinner's question on Lord Ashcroft, denies Mark Pritchard's question on Unite

Fascinating blog from Paul Waugh over at the London Evening Standard.

Paul tells how the Speaker rebuked Theresa Villiers for questioning Labour's links to Unite, during an emergency state on the British Airways strike.

Worse, though, was his seemingly contradictory approach to questions from a Labour and a Tory MP.

He permitted a question from Labour's Dennis Skinner about Lord Ashcroft's donations to the Conservatives but ruled out of order a question from Tory Mark Pritchard about Unite union leaders trimming their own wages by way of example.

Paul Waugh has the full story, including growing signs that Tory MPs will not accept David Cameron's urging to stand behind The Speaker. Tory MPs were appalled last week, during PMQs, when Simon Burns was accused of being boring and boorish by Mr Bercow. "He hates Tories," one MP told ConservativeHome, "it's as simple as that."

Tim Montgomerie