John bercow

This week John Bercow suggested a Labour MP was in need of an ASBO after she jeered Theresa May a little too enthusiastically during PMQs. Now, the Speaker has encountered another issue with unruly Labour MPs in the Chamber. Today Chris Bryant left the Speaker lost for words when he wished Bercow a ‘happy kiss a ginger day’. Bercow had to take a break to discover what this day was about — before letting Byrant down gently: ‘This kiss a ginger activity is probably perfectly lawful but I’ve got no plans to partake in it myself. I have not the slightest idea what the honourable gentleman was suggesting so the matter had

Although PMQs turned out to be a muted affair on the Tory benches, Labour MPs were on boisterous form when it came to the NHS. In fact, one MP was so vocal in her frustration that it led to a ticking off from the Speaker. Step forward Paula Sherriff. After Tracy Brabin asked Theresa May to do more to preserve her constituency’s A&E service, Paula Sheriff was reprimanded for jeering the Prime Minister a little too enthusiastically: ‘If you were behaving in another public place like this you would probably be subject to an anti-social behaviour order.’ It seems Bercow’s war with the SNP over their unstatesman-like behaviour has now spread

Since the — fast depleting — SNP 56 descended on Parliament last year, there have been a number of incidents — from clapping in the Chamber to trespassing through the Chancellor’s office — that suggest the majority are not taking to Westminster etiquette like ducks to water. However, could it be one of the SNP’s longest standing MPs who has the most to learn? Today Angus MacNeil — the MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar since 2005 — was taken to task in the chamber by the speaker over his unstatesman-like behaviour. Bercow accused MacNeil of chewing gum while contributing to the Brexit debate: ‘Mr MacNeil, you are an exceptionally boisterous fellow and in the

When the model and actress Anastasia Lin was crowned Miss World Canada last year, a fairly easy and lucrative career lay in front of her: magazine shoots, sponsorship opportunities and being paid to turn up to parties. She instead decided to use her position to confront the Chinese Communist party and call out its human rights abuses. Her new film The Bleeding Edge is a feature-length dramatisation about the organ trade in China. It might not be in a cinema near you soon, but it does screen in the House of Commons next week, in front of MPs and peers. And this is the audience that 26-year-old Lin is seeking.

There are few moments in politics when parties put aside their differences to come together. Yesterday’s tragic events in Birstall has brought about one such occasion. After the terrible killing of Labour MP Jo Cox, the Conservatives have said they will not be contesting the by-election held in Batley and Spen. In a statement, the Conservative party said: ‘Following the tragic killing of Labour MP Jo Cox, the Conservative Party has decided not to contest the forthcoming by-election as a mark of respect to a much-loved and respected politician’ The Prime Minister, the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and the Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow have also appear

Although Bernard Jenkin tabled an urgent question today, the Conservative politician didn’t seem to feel any sense of urgency when it came to arriving in time to read it. As John Bercow called Jenkin’s name, the Eurosceptic MP was nowhere to be seen — leading MPs to joke that he was busy in Brussels. ‘I find it very hard to believe that the honourable gentleman is in Brussels,’ Bercow replied. When he did eventually arrive, Bercow launched into a lengthly tirade about Jenkin’s timekeeping skills: ‘It’s a considerable discourtesy when I grant the honourable gentleman’s urgent question application when he’s not here at once, he should be in the Chamber, This must not happen again.

John Bercow hit out at Greg Hands for his ‘long-winded, boring and unnecessary’ answer in the Commons: Ken Livingstone said that his history of rebellions, as well as those rebellions orchestrated by Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell, proved they were right: The former London mayor also said Labour was ‘completely out of kilter with the membership’ and that it was time for Labour MPs to come to terms with Corbyn: George Osborne had a dig at Labour’s appointment of Yanis Varoufakis. The Chancellor said he was signed up by the party because ‘Chairman Mao was dead and Mickey Mouse was busy’: And Sadiq Khan vowed to crack down on Uber

Last year Alex Salmond told Anna Soubry to ‘behave yourself, woman‘ after the pair clashed in the chamber. While it was Salmond who found himself in the firing line on that occasion for his choice of words, Soubry is now back in the spotlight over her Commons etiquette. John Bercow took the small business minister to task on Friday during a debate about job losses in Sheffield where Labour MPs accused her of lacking compassion. Soubry repeatedly heckled Gordon Marsden as he spoke, leading him to ask: ‘will the minister stop chuntering from a sedentary position?’ The Speaker then launched into a rant — urging Soubry to show ‘a basic dignity’: ‘Order! Minister, you have had your

Last month relations between the Tories and John Bercow hit an all-time low as the Speaker called Sajid Javid ‘incompetent’ for taking too long to an answer a question. Well, David Cameron can at least take heart today that it’s not just the Conservatives who can find themselves on the wrong side of the Speaker. Today Corbynista Clive Lewis was scolded by Bercow for making too much noise during the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement. As George Osborne announced the details of the Spending Review only to be heckled by Lewis, Bercow paused proceedings to address the Labour MP: ‘Mr Lewis, get a grip of yourself man — calm. Take up yoga, you’ll find it beneficial man.’ https://vine.co/v/iz2DOg3iqUr While