‘Smug, arrogant and hypocritical … no, not Donald Trump, John Bercow’, says talkRADIO host Julia Hartley-Brewer
JULIA HARTLEY-BREWER
IT is the ultimate battle of egos.
Commons Speaker John Bercow has launched a war of words against the most powerful man in the world, the President of the United States.
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Commons Speaker John Bercow claims he would be 'strongly opposed' to Donald Trump addressing the Houses of Parliament during his visit to the UKCredit: Getty Images - WireImage
On one side, we have a pompous, arrogant egomaniac who desperately craves attention and wants to strut on the world stage, handing out executive orders like a tin-pot dictator.
Never mind that Bercow has tried to dictate British foreign policy and publicly insulted the leader of our strongest ally.
Grandstanding by a political pygmy
The truth is that Bercow isn’t a hero of our time, standing up for the poor, huddled masses. This wasn’t about Doing The Right Thing.
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As the Speaker, Bercow should remain politically neutralCredit: Getty Images
This was nothing but pathetic grandstanding by a political pygmy who has given up on having any chance of climbing higher up the greasy pole.
John Bercow has dismally failed at the most fundamental job of the Speaker, which is to be scrupulously politically neutral.
Despite being a former Tory MP, he has long been despised by many of his Conservative colleagues.
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Embarrassing figures ... John Bercow should be more concerned about his wife Sally's behaviourCredit: Channel 5
Labour MPs only voted him into the job in 2009 to mischievously put two fingers up to the Tories.
No wonder so many MPs on all sides — some publicly, but many more in private — now want him to leave the Speaker’s chair.
They know Bercow is just a hypocritical self-publicist who is happy to kneel at the virtue-signalling altar in return for a few minutes of publicity on the 6pm news — and a smattering of applause from sycophantic Labour and SNP MPs.
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China's President Xi Jinping delivers a speech in the Palace of Westminster during his visit to the UK in 2015Credit: Getty Images
Where, after all, were Bercow’s oh-so-deeply-held convictions about not welcoming unsavoury characters to Parliament when he happily kowtowed to Xi Jinping and proudly introduced the Chinese President’s speech to MPs and peers in 2015?
Last time I looked, President Trump (whether we like it or not) was elected to office in a free and fair democratic election, while President Xi is the leader of a one-party totalitarian state that locks up political opponents.
Where were Bercow’s morals when he enjoyed tea and biscuits with North Korean dignitaries in 2011 and, in 2009, when he played host to a senior figure in the Vietnamese regime?
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John Bercow should pay more attention to his wife's behaviour if he is worried about being associated with embarrassing figuresCredit: Getty Images - FilmMagic
Again, both are one-party totalitarian states that deny the most basic freedoms to their people.
And where was all that righteous indignation when the Speaker said he was “very pleased indeed” to welcome the president of Indonesia in 2016, despite that country’s dismal human rights record?
And while we’re at it, why did anti-racist Bercow say it was a “privilege” to welcome the emir of Kuwait to Parliament in 2012, when Kuwait bans Israelis from entering the country?
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Sally's behaviour has let her down on more than one occasionCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Or does the Speaker’s professed concern about “racism” extend only to travel bans that affect Muslims?
Indeed, if Bercow is really so concerned about the millions of Middle Eastern refugees, perhaps he should have thought about that before he voted for the Iraq War, setting off a chain of events that many feared would lead to exactly the crisis we see today.
Anyway, if Bercow is uneasy about Parliament being associated with embarrassing figures, perhaps he should spend a bit more time worrying about his own wife, Sally — best known for posing provocatively in front of Westminster wearing nothing but a white sheet.
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With the wife of The Speaker known for posing in front of Westminster wearing nothing but a sheetCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
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Sally was evicted from the Big Brother House in 2011Credit: PA:Press Association
The truth is that Bercow doesn’t speak for Parliament and he certainly doesn’t speak for Britain.
Yes, two million British people signed a petition against Donald Trump. But so what, when 63million of us didn’t?
Most of us are more concerned about looking after British jobs and keeping up good relations with the most powerful nation on Earth, rather than grand-standing like a spotty sixth-former trying to impress the prettiest girl at school.
The reality is that Bercow is nothing more than a Donald Trump “mini-me”, jumping up and down and begging for the world to pay attention to him.
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The Speaker of the House, John Bercow is expected to be politically neutral at all timesCredit: Getty Images
The only difference is that Bercow isn’t allowed to put his name up in big gold letters on the outside of HIS building.
The truth is that the man embarrassing the House of Commons isn’t Donald Trump.
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