Keith Vaz 'could be next Speaker of the House of Commons' One MP told The Daily Telegraph that Mr Vaz had emerged as a contender in recent months, although he would have to work hard to build support among Tory MPs. Mr Vaz is known to have tried hard to be seen as a fair minded chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee. Under Commons rules, the next Speaker has to come from the Government benches. This would mean that Mr Vaz can only become Speaker if Labour win the 2015 general election. Mr Vaz would also have to see off any challenge from Lyndsay Hoyle, a Labour MP who is the current joint deputy speaker who is highly regarded by MPs. If the Conservatives emerge as the party with the most MPs after 2015, Eleanor Laing, the Conservative deputy speaker, is the favourite. An outsider is said to be Charles Walker, the popular backbench MP who has emerged as a champion of an 11 per cent pay rise for MPs after 2015. Mr Walker who chairs the Commons Procedure committee and also sits with Mr Bercow on the Speaker's committee which sets the annual budget for MPs" independent pay watchdog. Mr Vaz declined to comment when approached by The Daily Telegraph. Friends played down the prospect saying he was not interested in the role and was enjoying life as chairman of the Home Affairs select committee. Mr Walker said: "I have utmost and highest regard for, but I don't see a vacancy for a number of years. My focus currently is as chairman of the Procedure committee where we are trying to navigate a new settlement for private members" bills."