Sally Bercow - Speaker's Wife - Hunting Act 2004

[Judgemental]

Having started this thread I am planning a few well chosen words in the very near future concerning the Hunting Act - Parliament - The Conservative Party and the grandees of hunting.

However it is worth commenting that I did see Simon Hart speaking in the House (the new member for Carmarthan and Pembrokeshire) when he caught the speakers eye in a recent rural debate.

Although I did note that Spearker Bercow was not sitting.

 

[Ahunter]

Hardly a change of view in the James Barrington/Richard Course mould, it just shows who wears the trousers in the Bercow household.

 

[Judgemental]

I have resurrected this thread as despite the testosterone fuelled musings expressed by JM concerning the Speakers wife, he himself has lost the 'impartiality' concept and as can be seen here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12225569
has now revealed that he was was against the ban when he was a Conservative MP, but now appears to have changed his position.

Mr Bercow wrote to a constituent on 6 January saying there was a "compelling" argument for the ban.

"The public as a whole support the legislation and consider that hunting foxes with a view to killing them is wrong in the 21st Century. I support that view," he wrote.

However there is potentially some light at the end of the tunnel as the BBC report seems to end with a call for him to be 'neutered'.

From the beginning of this thread I thought there was something very suspicious about Bercow and hunting. The following report from today's Daily Mail, says it all!

Frankly we are all being taken for mugs by all these MPs

Minister hits out at Bercow and wife over impartiality
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 7:33 AM on 20th January 2011

A senior minister has launched an outspoken attack on Commons Speaker John Bercow and his wife.

Mr Bercow infuriated international development minister Alan Duncan by criticising the Government’s political reforms and defending the ban on foxhunting.

In a sign of the growing tension between the Speaker and the Government, Mr Duncan said Mr Bercow faced ‘very worrying’ questions about his impartiality.

He also hit out at the ‘conduct’ of Mr Bercow’s wife Sally, who has angered Tory MPs with her repeated – and often highly personal – attacks on the Government. He said this was ‘becoming a pretty serious problem’, and pointed out that she lives at taxpayers’ expense in the luxurious Speaker’s House in the Palace of Westminster.

Wedded alliance: Commons Speaker John Bercow has come under fire for his support for the hunting ban. His wife Sally has also angered Tory MPs with her repeated attacks on the Government Long-standing conventions dictate that the Speaker must be politically neutral and avoid commenting on contentious issues. But yesterday it emerged that Mr Bercow had written to a constituent saying there was a ‘compelling’ argument for the hunting ban. He added that killing foxes was ‘wrong’.The Speaker also criticised the Government’s flagship political reforms which involve cutting the number of MPs.

He said at a Westminster event discussing parliamentary scrutiny: ‘It may well be that MPs will have to work harder to scrutinise effectively if the balance between backbenchers and ministers is squeezed more in favour of ministers. Would that concern me? It would.’

Mr Bercow's comments represent a U-turn from his previous opposition to the ban and are likely anger the Tories who are hoping to repeal the act
Mr Duncan told the BBC’s Daily Politics Show yesterday: ‘The top rule for any Speaker is that they are politically impartial and they stand back from expressing party political opinions of any sort.

‘[His comments] seem seriously to conflict with the essential rule of the Speaker’s life [which] is that he should be above party politics and I think that’s very worrying.’

Lady Boothroyd said Mr Bercow's refusal to wear traditional court dress harmed his authority because people did not look up to him as much as they should Mrs Bercow stunned Westminster shortly after her husband’s election to the role of Speaker by giving an interview in which she admitted enjoying binge drinking and one-night stands in her youth.

But it is her political outbursts that have angered many Tories – and brought warnings that she risks breaching the impartiality of the Speaker’s office.
Mrs Bercow, who stood as a Labour council candidate at the last election, uses Twitter to launch almost daily attacks on Government policy.

In 2009 she called Mr Cameron a ‘merchant of spin’. Last year she criticised William Hague for the way in which he dealt with internet rumours about his private life.

Mr Duncan, once a close friend of Mr Bercow, said: ‘The wife of the Speaker is entitled to opinions of course. But she’s living in the House and then says “I have a separate life”, and a lot of it is a personal attack on Conservative politicians. ‘That’s quite different from saying “I want to stand as a Labour candidate in a local council”.’ Mr Bercow’s office declined to comment yesterday.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...its-supporting-hunting-ban.html#ixzz1BYiaEFCz

 

[EAST KENT]

Being a total cynic ..perhaps LAC or someone has got the Bercrows a glittery new kitchen or somesuch. Sorry,but they are all a dirty great pile of parrot droppings,and I believe they`ve duped the lot of us to get our votes last time.
Parliament is basically just a Committee,and as in every committee up and down the land the members have all stomped on somebody`s head to get there.

 

[oakash]

I tend to agree with you, East Kent. It is regrettable that a Conservative MP such as Bercow has proved himself just as duplicitous as the Labour bunch. I am beginning to believe that revolution is the only answer. Throw out this thieving bunch of MPs, of all parties. and lets have some honesty in Parliament! Come ON you bunch of twerps, you KNOW hunting is right, and you KNOW the ban was wrong, and you KNOW Sally Bercow is a sexual cow who has wheedled Bercow into changing his mind. God give us an honest bunch of politicians!

 

[solitairex]

Posted something similar to this without noticing this, obviously alot less in depth and just a general short rant. The link Aesculus posted has my uncle, Clive Preston debating in it... my claim to fame aha.

 

[Aesculus]

Huge thanks must go to your uncle for revealing what an unprincipled .... Bercow has revealed himself to be - not for the U turn specifically, as it demonstrates that he could not be allowed to be in the Speakers chair in any debate on hunting with hounds, but for the total disregard of conventions. Perhaps therefore neutering is an appropriate remedy?