John Bercow left fighting for his job after motion of no confidence tabled by Tory MP furious about his Donald Trump comments
JOHN Bercow was fighting for his job after Tory MPs launched an ambush to unseat the Commons Speaker.
Tory James Duddridge fired the starting gun with a surprise motion of no confidence in the MPs boss after his attempt to ban Donald Trump from Parliament.
The ex-Minister said it was time for “a fresh Speaker who has the confidence of the whole House of Commons.”
Speaker Bercow has felt the heat since his unprecedented attack on the US President on Monday, and was forced to apologise to a colleague after breaking Parliamentary protocol.
In an extraordinary outburst, Mr Bercow – who took a vow to remain impartial – accused Trump of “racism and sexism” and he insisted he wasn’t welcome in the Palace of Westminster during his state visit later in the year.
James Duddridge tabled his complaint just as the Commons rose for a week’s recess, with a showdown set for ten days time.
The Rochford and Southend East MP said Mr Bercow had “overstepped the mark” adding “this is perhaps the straw that has broken the camel’s back.”
He added that he had been “amazed” at the number of people who had encouraged him to put down the sacking motion.
The House of Commons returns on February 20 and Mr Duddridge said last night: “I expect over the recess the number of MPs speaking out will increase and increase and it will be known his position is untenable.”
Last night dozens of Tory MPs signalled their support for the bid.
Alec Shelbrooke told The Sun: “I will put my name to any document. John Bercow has brought the Speaker’s office into disrepute.”
Karl McCartney branded Mr Bercow the “Jeremy Kyle of Parliament”as “his opinion wasn’t called for and added nothing of value."
The Lincoln MP added: “Those of us who value the sanctity and traditions of the Mother of all Parliaments were more than disappointed by his cheap intervention.”
Mid Bedfordshire’s Nadine Dorries said MPs were “still reeling” days after the Speaker’s outburst.
After a failed attempt to oust the Speaker in 2010 Mrs Dorries claimed she had “made peace with Bercow, but what he did was totally out of order, I just can’t support him anymore.”
She added: “I think he has done amazing stuff for the backbenches, and there was a lot of goodwill that he has blown it with what he did.
But UKIP’s Douglas Carswell told The Sun: “Having been involved in a previous removal of a Speaker, I will not supporting this initiative.”
With the complications of Brexit, Mr Carswell believes that the “last thing we need is the upheaval that will would come with this contest.”
A Labour source said it was unlikely any of their MPs would back the motion yet.
A senior Tory told the Sun: “It’s in the early stages but James is working very hard to get a lot of momentum behind it.”
But they warned without Government giving Ministers a free vote on the subject, the bid was likely doomed.
Last night Mr Bercow’s spokesman told The Sun: “The Speaker has made his position clear in response to Points of Order earlier this week, stands by that position, and has nothing further to add.”