It was meticulously planned. To be truthful this is as good as the plot of any fictional political novel.
At the start of the Conservatives term in office the Commons procedure committee were asked to produce a report on how the speaker was elected and possible changes, then they did nothing with it for 4 years.
Just before the end of business in the commons a bill was handed in by William Hague, who wanted a secret ballot to decide the Speaker's future after the election. The fact is Hague has already stated he is standing down - no matter what the result he was outside any negative or positive consequences of his actions. The time limit on the debate was set for 1 hour and they had already made sure no extension was possible. Hague spoke for nearly 30 minutes introducing the bill, taking many points from other MPs.
This vote was immediately assumed to be a vote of confidence in the Speaker. The Conservatives hadn't told Labour, the Lib-Dems or anyone else they could avoid telling, including strangely Tory MP Charles Walker, chairman of the Commons procedure committee who had produced the report. They had kept back as many Conservative MPs as they could for a party speech.
"I have been played as a fool, and when I go home tonight I will look in the mirror and see an honorable fool looking back at me and I would much rather be an honourable fool, Mister speaker, in this or any other matter, than a clever man." MP Charles Walker.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32061097
The actual debate below
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05qw1nf
To be honest the only reason the government lost the vote was that 23 Conservative MPs stood up and walked through the No door with the Labour MPs, against their own party's wishes. 10 Lib-Dems present went with them, also voting no.
Unfortunately most voters will probably never hear of this.
I think it's a good idea to have the speaker elected via secret ballot.
And even better, lets scrap the idea of the speaker being an MP. I live in Bercow's constituency and unfortunately for me, and the entire population of Buckingam, we don't get to vote. I have been disenfranchised. The fact I pay a massive amount of tax every year with no say is disgusting.
That's a far more important issue than the Tories doing a bit of gamesmanship to get what they want.
The cloak and dagger of the situation is what stinks. If they did want to change the rules regarding the speaker it should have been carried out during parliament rather than being snuck in at the very end.
I do agree the speaker being unchallenged is unsettling when you considering all of the constituents are completely disenfranchised.
The cloak and dagger why at least some of the 23 Conservatives voted against. 4 years doing nothing then this? It begs the question why now? Perhaps on an open and fair vote they would have had no chance to get him out.
TBH I don't care how the speaker is elected, providing it is fair. A lot of the Conservative back benchers do appreciate what he has done for them.
Worse than that Sam, if the vote is hung, ie equal on both sides, Bercow has to vote for the government, whoever they may be. Betty Boothroyd had to vote against her own party in at least one important vote.