DEBATE: Has John Bercow damaged the reputation of the office of speaker with his actions this week?
Has John Bercow damaged the reputation of the office of speaker with his actions this week?
Alex Deane, a Conservative commentator, says YES.
Naturally, most people aren’t interested in parliamentary procedure. They are in favour of a position when it aligns with their views, and against it when it doesn’t.
But rather than viewing John Bercow’s manoeuvrings on Wednesday through the lens of whether one is a Leaver or Remainer, consider the fact that institutions and systems require rules that are fair rather than arbitrary – none more so than the institution that makes rules for the rest of us.
After much struggling to come up with a metaphor that describes what Bercow has done in layman’s terms, a BBC pundit yesterday hit upon “the referee suspending the offside rule when his preferred side scores, then reinstating it”.
That’s about right. Bercow has demeaned the great office he occupies – a role that will be with us long after the presently all-consuming Brexit is an interesting tale in the history books – and restoring the impartial standing of that office is vital. It’s beyond time for the House of Commons speaker to go.
Alison McGovern, Labour MP for Wirral South and former shadow city minister, says NO.
We have to trust the speaker who is tasked with maintaining order in the chamber. In selecting Dominic Grieve’s amendment on Wednesday, John Bercow made it clear that parliament needs to have a say on the crucial questions that lie ahead.
This is the nature of having a hung parliament at one of the most important moments for our country.
Ultimately, those who were unhappy had the opportunity to vote against the amendment. They did, and they lost.
The public may well be looking at the House of Commons and wondering what on earth is going on. But what happened in parliament this week was incredibly important. Our votes have made sure that the government will be required to come back with plan B within three days if Theresa May’s Brexit deal does not pass. Without this vote, we would have to wait until February.
We have sent a clear message to the government – the ongoing uncertainty is not acceptable for our constituents nor for businesses.