Conservative Party MPs have demanded that Prime Minister Theresa May clears the way for a vote of no confidence on the House of Commons speaker, John Bercow, for his remarks about US President Donald Trump earlier in the week. Bercow said that Donald Trump shouldn't be allowed to address the House of Commons during his state visit later this year.
A number of back-benchers have told the Guardian that they have already approached several clerks of the House of Commons to ask whether they can table a vote of confidence motion. Various Tory back-benchers appear convinced that John Bercow will resign before a vote is called.
Taking a stand against Trump
On Monday afternoon, John Bercow told the House of Commons that he was staunchly against the idea of Trump addressing both Houses of Parliament, citing Trump's executive order to ban citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. Bercow said: 'I feel strongly on this matter. Our opposition to racism and sexism and support of equality are important considerations in the matter. The President of the United States has proven flakey on such matters'.
A spokesperson for Theresa May said that no vote had been called before shutting down speculation about a timetable for the vote. At the time of his speech, several notable conservative mps accused Bercow of overstepping his boundaries as speaker for the house, particularly when considering Theresa May is determined to forge strong relations with the United States.
Vote of no-confidence unlikely
MPs are said to be unlikely to gain enough support of a no-confidence and the government, according to the Guardian, are not keen to see Bercow step down on his own volition. 'Regardless of how irritating Bercow is, getting rid of the speaker is destabilising and quite a lot of MPs have a begrudging respect for him,' said one Commons veteran.
Theresa May's decision to invite Trump to the United Kingdom to establish trade agreements has been met with dissent from members of the opposition and the general public.
