Commons speaker John Bercow ‘admitted voting to stay in the EU and said immigration was a good thing’
Mr Bercow is already facing a vote of no confidence from MPs next week after he caused fury by saying that President Trump should be banned from addressing politicians
COMMONS Speaker John Bercow has becoming involved in a fresh row about his impartiality after he admitted voting to stay in the EU.
Mr Bercow is already facing a vote of no confidence from MPs next week after he caused fury by saying that President Trump should be banned from addressing politicians on his upcoming state visit.
And a fresh row has emerged over comments from the Speaker – who is meant to remain impartial – voted to Remain in the EU, and said that immigration was a “good thing”.
He made the remarks at a speech to a group of students at Reading University, but his spokeswoman said the way he had cast his ballot had no impact on his ability to deal fairly with all MPs.
MPs said that the Speaker’s position was now untenable – as the Commons is to spend the next few years debating Brexit.
He told students: “Personally, I voted to remain. I thought it was better to stay in the European Union than not.” The Speaker said this was mainly for “economic reasons” and that it was better to be involved than out on our own.
He also said immigration was a “good thing” and hit out at Labour for not doing more to strike a “very clear, resonant, Remain note”.
Mr Bercow told students: “If you asked me if I think freedom of movement has been a positive the honest answer is that it has been a positive certainly for the country.”
James Duddridge, the MP who brought forward the motion of no confidence, : “Speaker Bercow cannot come back to the chair having expressed views on Brexit. He is incapable of chairing Parliament as Speaker on any European business.”
Former Culture Secretary John Whittingdale said the “scoresheet is mounting up” against Mr Bercow and he was “coming to the end of his term”. But he told students during the talk he wanted to stay until 2020.
Commons leader David Lidington told Andrew Marr this morning that he would have had concerns if he had made the comments before the referendum, but that the vote of no confidence was “a matter for MPs.”
Mr Bercow is facing a vote of no confidence next week over his outspoken remarks about President Trump.
Accusing the President of “racism and sexism” last week, pint-sized John Bercow drew cheers and applause from Labour and SNP MPs with the extraordinary blast in Parliament.
Speaker Bercow said he had concerns around inviting Mr Trump to address Parliament before he implemented his controversial travel ban.
But since then, he has become “even more strongly opposed” to the idea.
However, the Speaker of the House of Lords insisted that he could still come to address MPs on his state visit – which will take place later this year.
Lord Fowler slapped down the MP for Buckingham and said he was not consulted beforehand.
The Lords boss added: “My view is that I will keep an open mind and consider any request from Mr Trump to address Parliament if and when it is made”.
Mr Bercow’s spokeswoman said last night that he had voted in last June’s referendum “along with millions of others”.
“The record shows that he has rigorously facilitated the raising of concerns of those on both sides of this argument, as he does on every other issue,” she said.
“The speaker’s impartiality is required on matters of debate before the House, and he has been scrupulous in ensuring that both sides of the argument are always heard.
“He is required to be politically impartial in his conduct in the chair, irrespective of any private views he may or may not hold on the matters before the House, and ensure that those matters are given a fair and transparent scrutiny, and he has absolutely done this.”