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John Bercow says Remainers could have stopped Brexit

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - NOVEMBER 06: Former House of Commons Speaker, John Bercow speaks during a meeting in London, United Kingdom on November 06, 2019. (Photo by Tayfun Salci/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Former Speaker John Bercow has previously been criticised for pro-Remain bias. (Getty)

John Bercow has said it would have been possible for Remainers to overturn Brexit.

According to The Spectator, the former speaker appeared at a charity event in Holland Park last week to discuss his time in the Commons.

During his hour-long speech at the event he claimed Remainers had missed their chance to form a temporary government in October 2019 and put the brakes on Brexit.

Britain's Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks during Prime Minister's Questions session in the House of Commons, in London, Britain January 8, 2020. ©UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY.
Mr Bercow claimed Jeremy Corbyn could have headed a temporary government (Reuters)

“A short-term coalition government to administer and deliver a People’s Vote might have been formed,” he said.

“Jo Swinson wasn’t prepared to allow Jeremy Corbyn to be temporary prime minister. But the fear that this would lead to years and years of Corbyn and John McDonnell is for the birds.”

Mr Bercow drew fire from a number of prominent Brexiteers over the past few years as he was accused of helping support a Remain agenda in the Commons.

It was reported that Tory high command was so angered by Mr Bercow’s stance that it took the highly unusual decision not to offer a retiring Commons speaker a place in the House of Lords.

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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has stepped in and nominated Mr Bercow for a peerage, according to the Sunday Times.

But Downing Street stressed that the “long-standing convention” was that the leader of the opposition would only nominate people representing their own party for a place in the Lords.

Mr Bercow was elected as Tory MP for Buckingham before becoming the speaker in 2009.

Downing Street would not comment on specific nominations and it is understood that no list of potential peers from Mr Corbyn has been submitted to the Prime Minister.

But the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “It is a long-standing convention that leaders of the opposition can nominate individuals representing their party for peerages.”

Shortly after standing down as speaker Mr Bercow made a speech in which he said Brexit is the biggest foreign policy mistake since the Second World War.

He also said that the Commons “did its job well” in blocking a no-deal Brexit through cross-party alliances.

Mr Bercow said: “I’m no longer the speaker, I don’t have to remain impartial now and if you asked me honestly do I think that Brexit is good for our global standing?

“The honest answer is no, I don’t. I think that Brexit is the biggest foreign policy mistake in the post-war period, and that is my honest view.”