John Bercow has joined Labour - wow

I think this is the bit where you tell me that Boris gets called names all the time, isn't it

Well, to be fair, he does doesn't he? Just as Brown, Corbyn, Cameron and Blair is/was. It seems pretty evenly balanced to me.

Please miss, please miss, they started it!!

He was in parliament for 20 years. He was Speaker for 10 years, having been elected to that post more times than anybody else and always at a time when the Conservatives were in power. He was a member of the Monday Club.

Yeah, always a closet Labourite who was never going to get anywhere in the Tory party

If someone is in public life and you really disagree with their politics and dislike their character, are you entitled to call them names? Poison dwarf? Really, are we all 12 years old?

Please miss, please miss, they started it!!

Now you're being childish and to end your post with Really, are we all 12 years old? just proves the point really doesn't it! No point criticising others for their childish peurile comments and then do it yourself.

Yes, that's right, I'm being the childish one.

???

''Let's hope he's one that doesn't get his nose in the trough.''

this coming from someone who supports our current Governement...I spat my coffee and laughed and laughed some more. Oh, the sweet, bitter irony.

Kali2

I am most certainly not a tory supporter.

What nasty comments. Why ? For goodness sake the man has joined the Labour Party, not started a third world war. .

Lin52

The bullying claims against Bercow, by ex Black Rod and others, formal complaints, not media gossip, and unfortunately not formerly investigated, should be enough to be a warning to any party admitting him. As a victim of bullying, which can be done in underhand as well as shouty ways, the Conservative Party is well shut of him, and Labour is welcome to him. Cannot understand anyone supporting him.

Let's hope that P Patel doesn't have a Saul at Damascus change of heart. Another bully?

I believe Bercow to be an attention seeker, and that he wants a wants a seat in the House of Lords, so I’m not surprised.

I love the way the Tories are accusing Bercow of wanting a seat in the HoL. A seat btw that he is entitled to, when most of the recent new Tory peers have bought their way in through corruption.

Apologies then Mamardoit. But I do hope you can see the irony- when we have witnesses so many noses in so many troughs recently.

I can state with confidence that there is a large proportion of true one nation Conservatives, who are more and more dismayed and even ashamed, of the current Governement in so many ways and are turning away. More likely to the Lib Dems as so clearly illustrated in Amersham very recently. I am pretty sure this could be repeated again and again is the opportunity arises.

I can state with confidence that there is a large proportion of true one nation Conservatives, who are more and more dismayed and even ashamed, of the current Governement in so many ways and are turning away

This sounds as though you have insider knowledge for this statement kali2; you've referred on previous political threads that you are privy to information not generally known to the public. Or is it just your opinion?

Beckett

Oh what a surprise!! He may have been a member of the Conservative party for a long time but his heart belonged to Labour

He was not just a member of the Tory party he was a member of the Monday Club, which was known for its non white anti immigration policy and its support for pre -anti apartheid era support of South Africa and Rhodesia.

He's obviously seen the light and grown up.

It seems to me that the Tories amongst you do not genuinely support democracy. Bercow was doing that every time he challenged the PM and the Tories did not like his interventions. It was coincidence that he appeared to support the Labour Party in the debates in the H of C. The current speaker is too much of a wimp to stand up against Johnson and his acolytes.

westendgirl

What nasty comments. Why ? For goodness sake the man has joined the Labour Party, not started a third world war. .

I think people are bound to speculate as to why he's joined the LP.

He has explained this very clearly in his statement-.

Mr Bercow said he regards the Tories under Prime Minister Boris Johnson as “reactionary, populist, nationalistic and sometimes even xenophobic”.

Having stepped down as Speaker after 10 years in 2019, he announced on Saturday that he joined Labour in recent weeks.

“I am motivated by support for equality, social justice and internationalism. That is the Labour brand,” he told the Observer.

“The conclusion I have reached is that this Government needs to be replaced. The reality is that the Labour Party is the only vehicle that can achieve that objective. There is no other credible option.”

Fair enough, I say.

and sometimes even xenophobic ????

A bit rich for someone who was in the Monday Club!

I agree with Bercow. Have been saying that for years now.

This will be off topic, so apologies in advance.

Do people not think these are nasty comments:

calling someone a poison dwarf
calling them slimy
saying their whole life had been a charade
implying they were a failure (when they're not)

Talk about the bullying claims, talk about the fact that he is attention seeking (probably), talk about his politics, all fair game.

But the fact that any supposedly mature person (in years, at least) thinks that it is acceptable to speak about anyone like that just shows what a pretty pass this country is coming to. Division, slandering your political opponents, personal attack - all fair game. And the answer? We should toughen up and not get offended.

Well, on your bike.

Whitewavemark2

I think that he simply reflects what is happening to Tory support, and why we saw the Amersham result.

The middle class and educated are beginning to no longer recognise the Tory party as a political party that they can identify with, for all the reasons that have been aired.

Hardly news! He was anti conservative when he became speaker. He. Was supposed to remain neutral but let his true. allegiance show.

Another self serving tea time Trotsky labourite, hoping to replace Keir Starmer when his back stabbing colleagues finally oust him.

Chewbacca

^and sometimes even xenophobic^ ????

A bit rich for someone who was in the Monday Club!

Yes, he has put his hands up to that. Isn't wonderful that people can evolve and change, and acknowledge their past mistakes.

The current speaker is too much of a wimp to stand up against Johnson and his acolytes

Hoyle was a deputy Speaker to Bercow. HIs current passivity to Johnson and his ministers assaults on the integrity of the House of Commons is surprising, to say the least. He has let them get away with lying to the House without recalling them to correct the record (all those lies are being recorded in Hansard and may be taken by future historians as the truth) and has allowed Johnson to get away with not answering questions put to him in PMQs for week after week.

I wonder, did he disagree with his former bosses handling of the Speaker's job or is he just lacking in a backbone?

When were you made thread/site moderator Alegrais1?

Your views do not trump those of other posters. I have made no personal remarks about JB.

The toughen up comment was mine and I stand by it.

Mamardoit

PippaZ

Mamardoit

Well he's certainly the Billy-no-mates of the tory party. I bet he's seething not to be in the House of Lords. Let's hope he's one that doesn't get his nose in the trough.

No job at the EU either. Bit of a shame given how much they love him.

Let's hope he's one that doesn't get his nose in the trough.

Really, REALLY?

Unfortunately I can't do bigger than REALLY!

Why the outrage?

I've not commented on his appearance, his marriage, or his children. I've not even mentioned the amount of taxpayers money he spent on a flat refurbishment. I've said nothing offensive.

Were you talking about Bercow or Johnson. You seem to have put forward an ad hominem arguement (which infers you have no argument) but gone off on to talk about Johnson?

Very weird. Also very close to libel I would have thought.

Lin52

The bullying claims against Bercow, by ex Black Rod and others, formal complaints, not media gossip, and unfortunately not formerly investigated, should be enough to be a warning to any party admitting him. As a victim of bullying, which can be done in underhand as well as shouty ways, the Conservative Party is well shut of him, and Labour is welcome to him. Cannot understand anyone supporting him.

Because he tried his hardest to defend our parliamentary democracy?