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The Londoner: Bercow lashes out at the Sally haters

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Getty Images

John Bercow says his wife Sally was portrayed as a “wicked witch behind the scenes manipulating me” because she didn’t fit a Right-wing stereotype.

“Tory wives wear a twin set and pearls and walk an appropriate amount of steps behind their husbands and never express a view and slice mushrooms and bake cakes... and if your wife isn’t like that they don’t like it and they gang up,” Bercow said of the Right-wing press last night.

The former Speaker of the Commons conceded “you’re influenced a bit by your partner,” but continued “my rethinking of my attitude to politics pre-dated my marriage”.

Bercow told a Guardian Live event last night it was “perfectly reasonable” that he was influenced by his wife Sally “to a degree”. He touched again on the “B******s to Brexit” controversy — when a sticker bearing that legend was found on Sally’s car.

“I remember a rather overexcited Tory MP challenging me about it, saying that “sticker in your car”. I said to the honorable gentleman that sticker is not in my car, it is fixed to the window of my wife’s car.”

Of course, in stirring the pot last night, Bercow again demonstrated he is no stranger to controversy, a habit that has been with him since his school days.

“I did take part in a school election hustings,” Bercow told James O’Brien’s podcast earlier this week. “I stood on the rather unsophisticated and populist platform of opposition to school meals, which I thought were almost inedible… I think I got 35 votes and I came second.”

One thing that stayed was “the thrill of an audience... I held views and was very keen to express them”. Now enjoying the fruits of his retirement — which has included publishing his autobiography and reminiscing about his tennis triumphs over PM Boris Johnson — the proudly “opinionated” Bercow remains unrepentant about the accusations that have dogged his legacy.

“I hope people will think: well, this wasn’t a nodding donkey. He didn’t just sit there, stiff upper lip, bloody good egg… I tried to be a bit different.”

There’s certainly no danger of that.

BBC lack balance... More or Less

It’s not just No10 that is cross with the BBC. Religious historian and academic Diarmaid MacCulloch told an audience at St Martin-in-the-Fields last night that the way the Corporation dealt with Brexit has “not been a good example of balance” and was “stupid”.

He went on to say: “You get someone saying something sensible so you’ve got to have someone mad on to contradict them. That is not balance.” But he did confess to enjoying Radio 4’s Sunday show More or Less as a “wonderful piece of thoughtful analysis and statistics”. Praise be.

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The Queen is looking for a helicopter pilot to join TQHF (that’s The Queen’s Helicopter Flight, naturally). The job listing says the successful candidate will provide “the highest standard of helicopter service to members of the Royal Family on official engagements”. Does that include dropping Her Majesty out of a chopper into the Olympic Stadium?

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John Pienaar’s departure from the BBC to Times Radio has opened old wounds. PM programme host Evan Davis tweeted: “You’ve clocked something I realised a year ago... drivetime is the best time to present.” Ex-Radio 2 drivetime DJ Simon Mayo, who left to join Scala, replied: “That used to be true, of course.” Ouch.

Green agenda at the Fashion Week finales

Adwoa Aboah (Dave Benett/Getty Images for Mot)
Adwoa Aboah (Dave Benett/Getty Images for Mot)

As London Fashion Week winds down, its closing parties were kicking into gear last night.

Adwoa Aboah, pictured with Niamh, the daughter of fashion designer Amy Powney, attended the Fashion Our Future launch event at Claridge’s Hotel in Mayfair.

#FASHIONOURFUTURE is a social-media pledge campaign designed to change the way we consume fashion to help stop climate change. London Fashion Week was the subject of protests by environmental group Extinction Rebellion, which claims the trade show has failed to take action to reduce its carbon footprint. How’s a hashtag for you? Actor and model Lily Cole also made the occasion.

In Nine Elms, the Mail Centre hosted Christopher Kane’s show, which was attended by models Erin O’Connor and Pixie Geldof, Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams, designer Alexa Chung and actor Zawe Ashton.

SW1A

Ed Miliband doesn’t have much chance of being the next Tracy Brabin. Challenged by fellow podcast host Geoff Lloyd to model an off-the-shoulder number in the House of Commons, the former Labour leader said he wouldn’t wear shorts and added: “it would have to be the brown corduroy suit... I mean, a garland of flowers in my hair would definitely cause some remarks.” Time for Ed Miliband: Flower Power edition.

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How does Tory MP Jonathan Gullis, 30, keep up appearances in his first parliamentary term? Mum’s the word. “She bought me some shirts because she said I looked scruffy,” the new MP for Stoke-on-Trent North says. He tells us: “I’ll apologise to Mum, take her for lunch and we’ll go suit shopping.”

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“My Westminster office is absolutely freezing,” Labour’s Rosie Duffield says. There again, with Parliament in recess and most MPs away, it’s no surprise there’s a lack of hot air.

Bernie keeps an eye on another race

Bernie Sanders wasn’t blown away by the belvederes of Blenheim Palace. “The buildings... they didn’t impress him,” says Larry Sanders, Bernie’s older brother, an Oxford resident (and not the fictional talkshow host).

“He was impressed by the number of people who must have slogged their guts out digging the pool.” Larry, recalling Bernie’s visit in The New Yorker, said the Vermont senator was only interested in visiting the Iffley Road running track where Roger Bannister ran the first four-minute mile. A former high-school running star, Bernie once clocked a time of 4.37. Feel the burn…

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