MPS plot to remove John Bercow amid fears he will award himself extension in Speaker role
MPS are plotting to unseat John Bercow as Speaker amid fears he will not step down as planned this summer after Brexit was delayed until Oct 31.
Contrary to reports that Mr Bercow still intends to make way for a successor this June after 10 years in the post, a senior Tory source last night told The Daily Telegraph: “Bercow is going nowhere. He is determined to see Brexit through.” Another source close to the Speaker also appeared to indicate he was planning to stay put, saying: “He’s coming under quite a lot of pressure to stay in the chair while Brexit remains so uncertain.”
A moderate Tory MP has quietly started collecting signatures in support of a no-confidence motion in the Speaker should he decline to quit in the coming weeks. One MP who has signed the petition said: “Even if it doesn’t work, we can’t just stand by and let him ride a coach and horses through our constitution without registering a protest.”
It comes as Chris Bryant and Harriet Harman, the Labour MPS, both appeared to put their hats in the ring as potential successors last week. Dame Eleanor Laing and Lindsay Hoyle, the deputy speakers, are also among the key contenders.
The new speaker will have to steer through the next phase of Brexit plus the oversight and overhaul of parliamentary buildings. They must also deal with a lack of trust in the political system.
Mr Bercow has faced months of criticism over his perceived Brexit “bias”. In January, it was reported that the 56-year-old Tory MP for Buckingham could be blocked from getting a peerage when he retires because of his behaviour during Commons Brexit debates. The move would break a tradition dating back 230 years, that former Commons speakers are automatically offered a seat in the House of Lords.
A Cabinet source said at the time: “It’s a good job peerage nominations are in our gift.” They added: “I can’t imagine we would look favourably on those who’ve cheated centuries of procedure.”
The move emerged after Mr Bercow was accused of breaking precedent and ignoring the advice of his officials by “unilaterally changing” parliamentary rules to allow a Government motion on the meaningful vote on the Prime Minister’s Withdrawal Agreement to be amended by Dominic Grieve, the former attorney general. The pro-remain amendment angered Brexiteers because it was made on a motion which precedent stated was unamendable.
Mr Bercow – who voted remain in the EU in the 2016 referendum – said at the time that he would not be “guided by precedent”. He said: “If we were
guided only by precedent, manifestly nothing in our procedures would ever change.” But then last month, he refused to allow subsequent meaningful votes on the Brexit deal, citing “strong and long-standing” parliamentary precedents dating back to 1604.
The Speaker told the Commons he required “no lessons or lectures” on how to do his job, and that he would carry on with his duties.
In October, Mr Bercow told friends he intended to stand down this summer. He has also faced criticism in a report on the failure of high-level figures in Parliament to deal adequately with the bullying of staff. Mr Bercow has personally faced allegations of bullying, which he has strenuously denied.
A spokesman for the Speaker said: “The Speaker was elected by the House in 2017 for the course of the parliament. In the event he has anything to say on his future plans, he will make an announcement to the House first.”