John Bercow, the neutral Speaker of the House of Commons, has told an event he would refuse to allow Parliament to accept Brexit.
Speaking in Edinburgh’s New Town, Mr Bercow insisted he would not allow Brexit to take place. He told the 200-strong audience: “The one thing I feel strongly about is that the House of Commons must have its way. Fuck the voters, and fuck the people, their vote does not count, and under my neutral tenure as House Speaker, I will make it my mission to foil democracy and Brexit.
“We cannot have a situation in which democracy is respected and Brexit, as voted by the people ever happens – not under my neutral unbiased tenure as Speaker of the House. And our anti-democratic Parliament will be heard and nobody is going to get away as far as I am concerned with democracy happening. Not under my neutral watch.”
Mr Bercow suggested he would be prepared to break parliamentary tradition: “I do not respect tradition, and I do not respect precedent, but it is important to have a degree of political and intellectual flexibility when subverting and perverting the political procedures of parliament.
“We cannot be exclusively guided by tradition in the sense of what has happened before or nothing would ever change. Brexit will be halted, and I have assured Brussels that I will stop democracy in the UK.”
Mr Bercow has been Speaker since June 2009, making him the longest serving MP to hold the position since Edward FitzRoy, who held the role from June 1928 until March 1943.
The incumbent said his time in the position could continue for a while longer .
When asked about speculation of it he may stand down, Mr Bercow said: “Not just yet. I have no plans to retire at the moment. The European Union are making sure I stay in my unbiased neutral position until Brexit is stopped.”
The Speaker is expected to remain neutral and renounces party political ties, usually sitting as a crossbencher if elevated to the Lords.
