Labour MPs like to see themselves on the front line when it comes to protecting women’s rights and creating safe workplaces for everyone. In fact, the slightest sign of impropriety in the Conservative Party or society at large is usually enough for them to call for sackings and public apologies.
So you would expect after an impartial report said that Speaker John Bercow would not be able to tackle the House’s huge bullying and harassment problem – and hinted that he should be removed, the Labour benches would be the first to call for him to go.
Apparently not. It appears that when you have a Speaker who is popular with (and helpful to) the Opposition, the usual rules do not apply. Instead, Labour MPs seem to have come out in favour of Bercow.
So, Mr Steerpike presents to you now the Labour champions of workplace rights who want John Bercow to stay in post. Mr S will keep the list updated throughout the day:
Margaret Beckett:Abuse is terrible, it shouldn’t happen, it should be stopped, behaviour should change anyway, whether the Speaker goes or not.But yes, if it comes to it, the constitutional future of this country, the most difficult decision we’ve made, not just since the war, but possibly, certainly in all out life times, possibly for hundreds of years. Yes, it trumps bad behaviour.Lisa Nandy:Profoundly depressing to hear so many MPs using this urgent question on the Cox Report to further their own agendas. I am more convinced than ever we need an independent process to sort this out
Profoundly depressing to hear so many MPs using this urgent question on the Cox Report to further their own agendas. I am more convinced than ever we need an independent process to sort this out
Ben Bradshaw:It is also not clear from some of the contributions that we’ve heard from some of the benches opposite, that some of them at least are motivated by personal animosity towards the current Speaker, who is not in the position to answer back. And at a time when our country faces probably its most serious constitutional and political crisis for a generation, we need a Speaker who is prepared to stand up for backbenchers, stand up for this house against and over mighty and over bearing executive. Particularly one which is threatening to drive through a Brexit which would be completely intolerable to a majority of members in this house. Christopher Elmore:The Leader will no doubt be aware, that I have spoken very publicly about being bullied for seven years as a teenager, two nervous breakdowns, one episode of hospitalisation through bullying. So I say this without any partisan point, but I find it abhorrent, and it has been members opposite who’ve used this for their own agenda, using bullying to bully the Speaker, and I find that utterly appalling as a victim of bullying. Angela Eagle:For the record I am not asking a UQ on bullying and I do not think the proximity of a constitutional crisis caused by Brexit is the time to be trying to change the Speaker- that way lies utter chaos
For the record I am not asking a UQ on bullying and I do not think the proximity of a constitutional crisis caused by Brexit is the time to be trying to change the Speaker- that way lies utter chaos https://t.co/FKyXFuL98c
Emily Thornberry:“I think this is absolutely not the time to be changing speaker.”
https://twitter.com/TomBoadle/status/1052129532126396416
Kate Green:
While the new head of the Commons standards committee, Labour MP Kate Green, has not come out in favour of the Speaker yet, she was one of the three MPs who blocked an initial inquiry into John Bercow’s own bullying behaviour. Mr S doesn’t hold out much hope that she’ll call for him to go.
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