Now ‘ bully’ Bercow calls Boris sexist!
He slaps down Johnson ... just for using MP’s ‘Lady Nugee’ title
SPEAKER John Bercow yesterday reprimanded Boris Johnson for making ‘sexist’ comments, despite being accused of bullying female staff himself.
He upbraided the Foreign Secretary after he addressed his opposite number Emily Thornberry as ‘Baroness whatever’ and by her formal title, Lady Nugee, in the Commons.
Miss Thornberry is married to High Court judge Sir Christopher Nugee – but chooses to go by her maiden name.
The Speaker quickly accused Mr Johnson of making ‘inappropriate and frankly sexist’ comments – drawing applause from the Labour benches. But Tory MPs accused Mr Bercow of using the episode to try to distract attention from the bullying claims against him.
They pointed out that Theresa May has referred to Miss Thornberry using her title, without being chastised by him. Yesterday, Mr Johnson apologised ‘unreservedly’ for his remarks, which came during Foreign Office questions.
As he answered a question from a Tory member about the Commonwealth, he had to be reminded of Miss Thornberry’s title by MPs, calling her ‘the Baroness, whatever it is, I cannot remember what it is … Nugee’.
Mr Bercow said: ‘I don’t want to be unkind or discourteous to the Foreign Secretary but … we don’t name- call in this chamber. Secondly, we do not address people by the titles of their spouses.
‘The shadow foreign secretary has a name and it’s not Lady Something. We know what her name is and it is inappropriate and frankly sexist to speak in those terms. And I’m not having it in this chamber. That is the end of the matter. No matter how senior a member, that parlance is not legitimate. It will not be allowed and it will be called out.’
Mr Johnson later said: ‘I heartily tender my apologies to [Miss Thornberry] if she was offended by what I said and I meant no harm, and I apologise unreservedly to her if I have offended the feelings of [Miss Thornberry].’
However, critics highlighted that Mr Bercow is himself the subject of bullying complaints by ex-staff. Kate Emms, his former private secretary, left the post after less than a year and was said to have developed post-traumatic stress disorder as a result.
Angus Sinclair, another holder of the post, alleges he was bullied out of his job. Another senior clerk, Emily Commander, criticised the handling of her complaint against an MP by the Commons committee chaired by Mr Bercow.
Following the allegations, Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom announced an independent inquiry into bullying in Parliament.
Mr Bercow is facing a growing rebellion among female Labour MPs. Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said: ‘The Speaker was playing to the sisterhood when he made these remarks marks and it looks like a blatant attempt to buy him time.
‘This looks like a political move to stop female Labour MPs moving against him. Theresa May has referred to her as Lady Nugee on various occasions.’
Earlier this year, after calling Miss Thornberry Lady Nugee, the Prime Minister said: ‘If the honourable lady is concerned about the reference that I made to her, of course I will apologise for that.’