Bill Carmichael: Mr Speaker's weasel words on Trump

Step forward the self-regarding, strutting little peacock that is the House of Commons Speaker, John Bercow, who this week announced he would block any plans for Donald Trump to address both Houses of Parliament because of the new US President’s alleged sexism and racism.

Set aside for a moment the fact that a date for Trump’s visit to the UK hasn’t been decided on yet, and he has expressed no wish so far to address MPs and Peers.

In other words, Bercow was answering a question no one has even asked yet.

More importantly Bercow’s poisonous little rant constituted a major breach of Parliamentary convention. The Speaker should be the humble servant of the House of Commons, possessing no power beyond that granted to him by MPs.

Furthermore, decisions over who should address both Houses of Parliament is a matter for the Speakers of both Commons and Lords, and should not be guided by the personal whim of Mr Bercow alone. In fact, Bercow was forced into a humiliating apology on this last point to his counterpart in the Upper House, Lord Fowler.

Of course Bercow was playing to the gallery, courting easy and cheap popularity. The Left has collectively lost its marbles over Trump’s election and any criticism of him will raise cheers to the rafters.

Bercow saw an easy chance to garner a few brownie points with fashionable opinion by indulging in a bit of pointless student politics that is entirely unfitting for the high office he holds.

But it is his hypocrisy that simply takes the breath away. Bercow has welcomed such characters as the Emir of Kuwait and the Emir of Qatar to Parliament with the sort of sycophancy that would make even the most dedicated court eunuch blush with embarrassment.

These, let’s not forget, are Islamic nations that treat women worse than cattle, and Kuwait even bans Israeli Jews from entering the country.

What was that you were saying about “racism and sexism” Mr Bercow?

Other human rights abusers he has welcomed with open arms include China’s President Xi Jinping and President Susilo Yudhoyono of Indonesia.

He even invited representatives from North Korea, the world’s most repressive country, for tea at Speaker’s House.

Is anyone seriously suggesting that Trump is worse than all of these?

Despite what Bercow wants you to believe, there is no serious point of high principle at stake here. As his record clearly demonstrates Bercow will happily meet any blood-soaked dictator, no matter how racist and sexist they are, if it advances his career by a single baby step.

Don’t forget that Bercow originally entered Parliament as an extreme right-winger and he has gradually responded to prevailing winds by shifting steadily leftwards. As a result of his partisanship, his time as Speaker has been little short of an embarrassment.

But I believe this time he has seriously overstepped the mark. His foolish grandstanding puts at risk our burgeoning relationship with President Trump, who, like it or not, is going to be in office for at least four years.

Bercow threatens to undo all the 
hard work put in by Prime Minister Theresa May to court the Americans, who, let’s not forget, are our most important and powerful allies, and will become ever more vital partners as we regain our independence from the European Union.

This will have huge impacts on the jobs and livelihoods of ordinary people in this country. It is far too important to be put in jeopardy by the actions of a very silly and vain man.

Mutterings among Tory backbenchers of some kind of coup to remove him prompted the tabling of a motion of no confidence last night. But without at least tacit government support this is likely to fail. More’s the pity, because following 
his actions this week, no one deserves 
to be turfed out on his ear more than John Bercow.