Days after quitting as speaker of the house, John Bercow has called Brexit the UK’s ‘biggest mistake’ since the Second World War in a devastating verdict.
BREAKING. Will #Brexit affect the international position of the UK?
— Antonello Guerrera (@antoguerrera) November 6, 2019
Bercow: 'I don't think it helps the UK. #Brexit is the biggest mistake of this country after the war. I respect PM Johnson but #Brexit doesn't help us. It's better to be part of the [EU] power bloc'@FPALondon
He had long been accused of being against leaving the EU while in his position as speaker, and on Wednesday he revealed the true nature of his thoughts about the EU.
“I don’t think it helps the UK. Brexit is the biggest mistake of this country after the war. I respect PM Johnson but Brexit doesn’t help us. It’s better to be part of the [EU] power bloc,” Bercow said.
The ex-speaker was talking to the Foreign Press Association, quoted by La Repubblica, in his first public comments since quitting as an MP on Monday.
Bercow also said he did not believe Brexit would be resolved any time soon, and rejected any narrative about him blocking Brexit, saying: “It was parliament to not implement it, not me.”
He denied breaking convention and precedent to allow pro-EU MPs to pass laws to prevent a no-deal Brexit.
“I respect the prime minister and he has the right to do what he did also in the House of Commons. But My job was to stand up for the rights of the House of Commons. No apology for championing the rights of parliament,” he said.
Bercow added he only had one regret in his role as speaker: “The way in which I handled five years ago an ultimately successful attempt to separate the role of the clerk of the house from the role of chief executive of the house. I didn’t build sufficient support for the change, it was a bloody fight.”
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