Prior to the announcement of the resignation of John Bercow as Speaker of the House of Commons, Christian MP, Andrea Leadsom, criticised the Speaker for ‘flagrant abuse’ of parliamentary process
Andrea Leadsom accused the Speaker of the House of Commons for ‘braking the rules’ by allowing MPs to take control of the Commons agenda.
The Business Secretary and former Leader of the House of Commons said John Bercow – whose office has the highest authority in the House of Commons and chairs MPs’ debates, had failed to uphold his position and permitted a “flagrant abuse” of parliamentary process.
The Speaker has a responsibility to remain impartial and uphold parliamentary order.
Her criticism came after MP’s backed a motion to take control of the Commons timetable to pass legislation aimed at blocking a no-deal Brexit.
Writing in the Mail on Sunday Leadsom said the Speaker’s role was to be “a politically impartial, independent umpire of proceedings” who was in place “to protect the constitution and oversee the behaviour of the House.”
“But last week, the current Speaker failed us.”
She argued that by allowing the urgent debate, a move which meant opposition and rebel MPs could pass a law blocking a no-deal Brexit, Bercow “didn’t just bend the rules, he broke them” and gave “power to the Opposition”.
Leadsom went on the say that the “inappropriate” use of Standing Order No24 – the rule to apply for an emergency debate – undermined governance and the vote of the British public.
“It was intended to ram through legislation for purely political reasons,” she added.
In response to Bercow’s actions the Conservative Party would field a candidate in his constituency of Buckingham at the next election, according to Leadsom.
Yesterday, the vast majority of Conservative party M.P.s remained seated and refused to clap after fellow party member and Speaker of the House Commons, John Bercow, announced his decision to stand down next month.
Mr. Bercow has been a Conservative party M.P. the constituency from Buckingham since 1997.
The 56 year-old said he made a promise to his wife and three children that the 2017 general election would be his last.
Mr. Bercow described his 10 years as Speaker of the House of Commons as the “greatest honour” of his professional life.
The Labour party, the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party honoured Mr. Bercow with a standing ovation however the majority of his fellow Conservative party M.P.s remained seated with some of them even refusing to clap.
Mr. Bercow is an unpopular figure for many Conservatives who, in the event of no new offer from the European Union, support prime minister Boris Johnson’s intention to take the U.K. out of the E.U. with no deal.
Labour party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, described Mr. Bercow as a “superb speaker”.
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