Tories plotting to oust Speaker John Bercow after he was slapped down for trying to block Donald Trump from addressing Parliament
James Duddridge MP was hoping to ask Theresa May today to back his calls for a vote of no confidence which could topple the Speaker - but Mr Bercow didn't call him
TORY backbenchers are plotting to get rid of Speaker John Bercow after he caused fury by trying to block Donald Trump from addressing Parliament on a state visit.
James Duddridge MP was hoping to ask Theresa May today to back his calls for a vote of no confidence which could topple the Speaker - but Mr Bercow didn't call him.
Earlier this week the Speaker caused uproar in the House of Commons when he openly attacked "sexist" President Trump, and said he would be "strongly opposed" to him addressing MPs and Lords in Parliament.
Mr Trump is expected to make a state visit to the UK later this year - but around 170 MPs have signed an Early Day Motion expressing their wishes for him to stay away from addressing Parliament.
Today's question - which would have caused deep embarrassment for the Speaker - would have asked Mrs May to allow MPs a free vote in a vote of no confidence. Manoeuvres are in place to try and get the Tory out of the job - some MPs say he has undermined the impartial office of Speaker.
Mr Duddridge, the Tory MP for Rochford and Southend East, was hoping to ask Mrs May:
"There is a good tradition of the Government not interfering in House matters.
"Will my right honourable friend therefore give me the assurance that the Government will not interfere and will give minsters a free vote in any vote of no confidence in the Speaker?"
Yesterday he tweeted that around 100 MPs were in support of his comments criticising Mr Bercow, but that many were holding back out of "respect for the role". One MP said that he could be "gone this week".
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On Monday the Speaker stunned MPs with his speech saying he would block Mr Trump from addressing MPs.
Accusing the President of “racism and sexism”, pint-sized Mr Bercow drew cheers and applause from Labour and SNP MPs with the extraordinary blast in Parliament.
Speaker Bercow said he had concerns around inviting Mr Trump to address Parliament before he implemented his controversial travel ban.
But since then, he has become “even more strongly opposed” to the idea.
He said: “I feel very strongly that our opposition to racism, to sexism, and our support for equality before the law and an independent judiciary are hugely important considerations in the House of Commons.”
MPs from the Labour and SNP benches cheered and clapped at his remarks.
He told Sky News yesterday: "It was the most bizarre statement... it is not his job to decide who comes to Parliament. Personally, I think we should embrace Donald Trump. We need to work with the elected President.
"It is wholly inappropriate for the Speaker of the House to enter the fray... he was playing to the audience.
"He has gone down severely in my estimations."
Mr Bercow was later forced to apologise for not consulting with colleagues before he made the intervention.
And the Lords Speaker says Mr Trump could still be invited to speak.
Former Lords boss minister Lord Fowler slapped down the MP for Buckingham to insist he still had an “open mind” about issuing the honour.
Aides to Lord Fowler also claimed he has the power to ignore Bercow to invite Trump to address MPs and peers in the Lords’ Royal Gallery.