Speaker of the House of Commons

Royal Assent: Crown neutrality on Brexit is unsustainable

The last time Royal Assent was withheld from a parliamentary bill was in the wake of the union of England and Scotland in 1707/8, when Queen Anne declined to support the Scottish Militia Bill. And she did so on the…

Bercow: all Brexit options must lead to the Treaty of Rome

April 2, 2019
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Following last week's 'indicative votes' to determine what sort of Brexit Parliament is for (as opposed to what it is against), yesterday's 'indicative votes – the sequel' yielded four more…

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Speaker Bercow: the most powerful commoner in the land

January 29, 2019
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The Speaker of the House of Commons is also known as the First Commoner of the Land, elected by MPs to chair their proceedings without prejudice or partiality, and to…

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Parliamentary prayers give strength and instil humility: they impose nothing and exclude no one

January 21, 2019
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"If MPs don’t want to attend prayers, they wait outside for five minutes until they are over", tweeted Nadine Dorries MP, in response to those who are agitating anew for…

Bercow, Brexit, conspiracy and coup: the inescapable feeling of betrayal

January 13, 2019
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The most difficult controversies are those in which both sides have a point. Two well known historic examples come to mind. The English Civil War was contended on multiple controversies,…

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Rev’d Jonathan Aitken calls the nation to pray for Parliament

December 9, 2018
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From The Times' 'Credo' column yesterday, by the Rev'd Jonathan Aitken, reproduced here with permission: After a seismic week of political and constitutional upheavals at Westminster, might this be a…

Speaker Bercow’s Trump ban is political, but his wig abolition is a greater contempt

February 7, 2017
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You don't have to be fan of Donald Trump not to feel a certain disquiet at the summary proclamation of Speaker Bercow that the President of the United States will…