John Bercow praises MPs hours after Theresa May lays the blame for the Brexit delay at their door

‘None of you is a traitor’: John Bercow praises MPs hours after Theresa May lays the blame for the Brexit delay at their door in her speech to the people

  • Speaker speaks out after MPs raised concerns about tone of PM’s address
  • Diana Johnson called for patriotism debate, saying she had been called a ‘traitor’ 
  • Minutes later Bercow told MPs to ‘grow up’ after they shouted abuse 
  • It prompted a heated exchange with Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom 

Speaker John Bercow has praised MPs saying ‘none of you is a traitor’ amid a row over the tone of Theresa May’s Brexit TV address last night.

The Prime Minister’s speech was branded ‘contemptuous’ by a Labour MP today in light of abuse and intimidation faces by MPs as she tried to lay the blame for the Brexit delay at the door of Parliament.

He intervened after Hull MP Diana Johnson called for a debate on patriotism, revealing she had been called a ‘traitor’ and received messages saying she should be ‘should be shot and hanged’.

He said: ‘None of you is a traitor. All of you are doing your best – this should not be, and I’m sure will not prove to be, a matter of any controversy whatsoever.

John Bercow told MPs that he believed they were ‘doing your best’ after they raised concern at Theresa may’s television speech last night

Labour's Diana Johnson had told the Commons she had been labelled a 'traitor' and received messages suggesting she deserved to be 'shot and hanged'

Labour’s Diana Johnson had told the Commons she had been labelled a ‘traitor’ and received messages suggesting she deserved to be ‘shot and hanged’

‘From the chair let me say I believe passionately in the institution of Parliament, in the rights of members of this House and their commitment to their duty.

‘And I use the word duty in the singular advisedly – the sole duty of every Member of Parliament is to do what he or she thinks is right.’

With the UK just eight days from a No Deal departure, Mrs May went on live TV to condemn the Commons for failing to back her EU withdrawal agreement and accused them of playing ‘political games’. 

The Downing Street address was meant to persuade Brexiteer Tories, Labour rebels and the DUP to back her deal – after the EU said it would only grant a short delay to Article 50 if the Prime Minister can win a vote on her plan before next Friday. 

But May’s address appears to have spectacularly backfired as she heads to Brussels today for a crucial summit. 

Her defiant speech caused a great deal of upset among MPs who branded it ‘toxic’, ‘contemptuous’, ‘incendiary and irresponsible’ while another called it a ‘f***ing disgrace’. 

Some suggested that her attempt to pitch the people against MPs was in poor taste after intimidation faced by MPs including Anna Soubry in recent months. 

The Prime Minister’s deputy spokeswoman had earlier dismissed claims that Mrs May’s attempt to blame MPs for the Brexit mess put them at risk of intimidation or attack.

She said: ‘I would just flatly reject that … there is no evidence that is the case.’ 

Minutes after praising MPs John Bercow rounded on Tories who tried to shout down Labour's John Cryer, telling them: 'Do grow up, for goodness sake'

Minutes after praising MPs John Bercow rounded on Tories who tried to shout down Labour’s John Cryer, telling them: ‘Do grow up, for goodness sake’

Mr Cryer had branded Mrs May’s speech ‘one of the most contemptuous statements I have ever heard - and that is up against some stiff competition’

Mr Cryer had branded Mrs May’s speech ‘one of the most contemptuous statements I have ever heard – and that is up against some stiff competition’

However Mr Bercow did not speak so loftily of MPs in the Commons just two minutes later when he told some Tories to ‘grow up’.

Labour’s Leyton and Wanstead MP John Cryer had branded Mrs May’s speech ‘one of the most contemptuous statements I have ever heard – and that is up against some stiff competition’.

When this provoked barracking from the Tories, Mr Bercow rose and called for order, saying: ‘Let’s grow up.

‘Do grow up, for goodness sake. This is not a matter of party political hackery.

‘Let’s have some seriousness of purpose and mutual respect.

‘The honourable gentleman is an experienced member of the House, he has asked an honest question to which the leader, I know, will honestly reply.

‘For goodness sake let’s raise the level.’

This only prompted an attack from Commons’ Leader Andrea Leadsom, who clashes regularly with the speaker.

She told him: ‘Mr Speaker may I say your response does not raise the level, but i’ll leave it there.’

He promptly told her to sit down, barking: Resume your seat Leader of the House.

‘My response sets out the constitutional position that has applied to the House of Commons over generations and I cannot see that there is anything controversial about what I said.’

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