It’s safe to say that the Speaker’s comments about PMQs have gone down badly with the Tories: “Bercow allows questions that are nothing to do [with] policy,” one payroll MP ranted to Guido, “letting Miliband go on and on and on, when it’s not actually questioning the PM on policy, just party political pops. So what does he expect?”

Guido contacted some non-public school Tories, who seem particularly incensed by Bercow’s allegations of “yobbery and public school twittishness”:

“He really is a tit. Calling us all public schoolboys shows [how] out of touch he is with his old party because most of us really aren’t. I’m surprised he can walk straight with that massive chip on his shoulder and he really needs to get over his little man syndrome.”

Another takes a subtler tone:

“PMQs is boisterous and passionate, and I would take passionate politics over bland politics any day. The idea that it is ‘male’ and ‘public school’ is obvious nonsense – I’ve never noticed a difference in behaviour from female MPs or non-public school MPs. These are just lazy accusations to lob into the discussion. MPs sometimes shout because they care passionately. That’s not a bad thing.”

The claws are out though, with one Cameron uber-loyalist really putting the boot in:

“Obviously Mr Speaker is trying to distract from his own domestic troubles.” 

Most MPs contacted refused to give quotes due to the way in which they feel Bercow has “politicised his office” and they want to be able to “ask a question this side of the election”. It has not gone unnoticed though that Bercow waited for a week when all the MPs were all away before he dropped his comments attacking them. That should only delay the whispering campaign…