House of Commons Speaker John Bercow attracted both cheers and backlash when he said that a Parliamentary address is “not an automatic right” for a world leader during a state visit, voiced his anti-Trump stance, and said that a Parliamentary address is something that has to be earned. Now he’s defending his comments, including a statement that accused the United States President of “racism and sexism.” Bercow told MPs that all of his comments about and against President Trump were made “honestly and honourably,” and adds that with his title, he has the right to voice such opinions.
Conservatives have criticised Bercow
Since making the aforementioned comments, Bercow has attracted backlash and criticisms from Conservatives and right-wingers, with one warning that his political career might be in “jeopardy” for saying such things, with another saying he has tainted and spoiled the interests of the nation.
The Downing Street team have also released a statement in response to Bercow’s comments, calling them “a matter for Parliament” to deal with internally. According to Conservative MP Sir Gerald Howarth, the party’s reaction to Bercow’s comments at the time he made them had a “rather subdued aspect.”
Trump coming to the UK on the Queen’s invitation
The Queen herself has invited Donald Trump for a state visit to the UK later this year.
Why the hell she did that is another story entirely, but anyway, said state visit is not guaranteed to, but can include an address to both Houses of Parliament. However, Bercow, speaking for the House of Commons, has made it abundantly clear that an address to Parliament is not a given right for world leaders during a state visit, and that he is staunchly against Trump addressing Parliament when he comes down in a few months.
Despite the upset from the Conservative Party, our version of the Republican Party of which Trump is a real-life satirical caricature, MPs from the Labour and SNP parties loudly applauded Bercow’s statements. When he was taken to task about his comments the following day, Bercow simply told them “the chair has a role in these matters,” shaking off any trouble he might be in like a rockstar.
Bercow is done with the controversy
Bercow is such a rock ‘n’ roller that he can’t even be bothered with his own controversy. He just shrugs it off and says it’s time now “to move on to other matters.” Sir Gerald says that the Conservative Party wants “full confidence” that Bercow’s decision making will be impartial, “because that’s the way for the House to proceed.” He added that relations between the UK and the US are “extremely important.”
On the other hand, Bercow has received praise from the MPs of other parties, such as Paul Flynn of Labour, who says that Bercow is owed “a debt of gratitude” for his comments and the finality of his decision, and Alex Salmond of SNP, who has encountered problems with Trump in the past personally, who said to Bercow, “If ever a statement deserved clapping, then yours did yesterday.”
Speaking on how this controversy and lack of impartiality puts Bercow’s career “in jeopardy,” Conservative MP Crispin Blunt, who is also the chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee, said that his comments will have “consequences,” and said that as Speaker, Bercow is expected “to referee all of this” and “keep himself above” vocalising his opinions on divisive topics such as this one.
