Speaker accused of Brexit bias over second referendum approach

JOHN BERCOW was yesterday accused of bias against Brexit after he blocked a bid to rule out a second referendum and told MPS they must “take the rough with the smooth”.

The Speaker selected four amendments to be put to a vote but declined to select a cross-party push that said another public vote should not be held.

One of the amendments selected called on the Government to seek an extension to Article 50 for the specific purpose of making time to hold a second referendum. Mr Bercow’s decision to snub the anti-second referendum amendment despite it being signed by more MPS than any other proposal prompted fury from Brexiteers.

Mr Bercow admitted in 2017 that he had voted for the UK to Remain at the 2016 referendum but he has always rejected suggestions of bias and defended his impartiality.

But Sir Bernard Jenkin, a veteran Tory Eurosceptic MP, suggested the decision to reject the amendment was the result of personal bias. Raising a point of order in the Commons immediately after Mr Bercow had announced his selection, Sir Bernard said: “There might be some concern, Mr Speaker, that the selection of amendments does not reflect the will of the House because the will of the House cannot be expressed on an amendment, as you have said previously, until there has been a vote on that amendment.

“Therefore, given that amendment B expresses different matters that you have chosen not to select, what are we to conclude from your own views on these matters?”

Mr Bercow hit back saying: “It is not to conclude anything in respect of my views. You are a very experienced member of this House. What you can conclude from the selection is that key propositions will be put to the House.”

Some 127 MPS – mainly backbench Tories but also numerous Labour and DUP MPS – signed the amendment but it was not enough to persuade the Commons Speaker to select it.

Mark Francois, of the European Research Group of Eurosceptic Conservative MPS, demanded an explanation from Mr Bercow, who said: “I hope you… will understand when I say that members do have to take the rough with the smooth.”

Mr Bercow told MPS that while “numbers are a factor” when he made decisions on amendments, he also took into account a number of other things.

Colourful stickers which stated that Mr Bercow was “not fit to be Speaker” later began to appear around the Parliamentary estate.