The Speaker of the House of Commons has become involved in a fresh row about political bias after he admitted voting to stay in the European Union and said immigration into Britain was a good thing.
John Bercow is already facing a vote of no confidence from MPs next week after he angered the Government by vetoing the idea of an address by President Donald Trump to both Houses of Parliament during his state visit later this year.
Now it has emerged Mr Bercow told a group of students he voted Remain at last year’s EU referendum, adding he hoped EU rules on parental leave, working time regulations and equality laws would continue after Brexit.
His fresh comments appear to breach the convention that Speakers of the House of Commons do not allow themselves to be drawn into political debate.
Parliamentary rules state: The Speaker is the chief officer and highest authority of the House of Commons and must remain politically impartial at all times … therefore, on election the new Speaker must resign from their political party and remain separate from political issues even in retirement.
MPs said Mr Bercow’s position was now untenable, because the Commons will spend the next year debating which EU laws to keep after Brexit.
Critics raised fears that Mr Bercow might allow MPs making negative points about Brexit more time to speak in the chamber and cut short those on the opposite side of the debate.
It comes amid fresh allegations that Mr Bercow had prevented the Commons being warned about police inquiries into Keith Vaz after accepting tens of thousands of pounds from business associates of the Labour MP towards his election campaigns in 2010 and 2015.
On Saturday night his spokesman denied the allegations describing them as wholly, categorically and entirely untrue.
Mr Bercow made his remarks about Brexit in an 80-minute question-and-answer session with students at Reading University on Feb 3, three days before his comments about Mr Trump.
According to a video of the event seen by The Telegraph, he told the students: Personally I voted to Remain. I thought it was better to stay in the European Union than not.
Mr Bercow also took aim at what he described as untruths during the campaign and how promises were made that could not be kept.
The Speaker also criticised Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party for not doing more to win the EU referendum campaign and striking a very clear, resonant, Remain note.
Mr Bercow said he hoped that after Brexit Parliament would keep changes on working hours for example that protect people’s health and safety. He said he hoped that the UK would keep measures on maternity leave and maternity pay and parental leave that partly flow from the European Union.
Mr Bercow also said he wanted to keep to an extent some of our equality legislation which was based upon or is in line with European concepts of fairness and equality.
On immigration, he said: “If you asked me if I think freedom of movement has been a positive the honest answer is that it has been a positive certainly for the country.
I think EU migration has been a good thing and immigration from around the world has been a positive far, far, far more than it has been a negative.
MPs are likely to vote on whether to apply all these areas in UK law in coming months.
Regarding his future, Mr Bercow said he would stay until 2020 – not quit next year as he has previously said.
He said: I was elected in 2015 for a parliament. In the unlikely event that there were an early election I would stand again but I am not thinking beyond 2020.
Tonight Conservative MPs who are backing a no confidence motion in Mr Bercow said he should resign as Speaker.
James Duddridge, Conservative MP for Rochford and Southend East, said: Speaker Bercow cannot come back to the chair having expressed views on Brexit. He is incapable of chairing Parliament as Speaker on any European business.
Alec Shelbrooke, another Tory MP, added: John Bercow’s comments are in clear breach of the guidelines laid down on the independence of the Speaker of the House.
Tonight Mr Bercow’s spokesman said that he had been even-handed when chairing debates on EU matters.
He said: The Speaker’s impartiality is required on matters of debate before the House, and he has been scrupulous in ensuring that both sides of the argument are always heard.
Furthermore, his comments made clear that he absolutely respected the result of the referendum.
Mr Bercow’s spokesman added: “How he voted and whether or not he said how he voted after the event is completely irrelevant. It had absolutely no bearing on his impartiality.