Brexit vote: MPs clash with speaker after John Bercow insults ex-whip

Parliamentary speaker John Bercow sparked fury among MPs when he suggested a former Conservative deputy chief whip had “not [been] very good” at the role.

He was responding to a question from Tory Brexiteer David Davies, who suggested Oliver Letwin had installed himself as “a jobbing prime minister” after his amendment to a government motion passed.

It took power to control business in the Commons away from the government, allowing MPs to put forward motions relating to Brexit on Wednesday.

Its passage, by a margin of 329 votes to 302, paves the way for what is set to be a series of indicative votes on various options, possibly including a soft Brexit and second referendum.

After Mr Letwin's motion had succeeded, Mr Davies said: “I don’t wish to pay tribute to the honourable member for west Dorset, but since he now seems to have installed himself as a kind of jobbing prime minister, could you tell me how it is how we hold him to account in this house?"

Mr Bercow defended Mr Letwin as “unfailingly courteous in his dealings with others,” but was heckled by Chelsea and Westminster’s MP Greg Hands.

Responding, Mr Bercow said: “[Mr Hands] was once a whip, he wasn’t a very good whip, it would be better if he keep quiet”.

As MPs shouted and jeered, Mr Bercow smiled and insisted his comments “were not outrageous at all”.

He then suggested “members could shout as much as they like” as it “wouldn’t make any difference".

Patrick McLoughlin, the former Conservative former chief whip, said Mr Bercow recently sent a letter to MPs saying they should treat each other with respect.

Was Mr Bercow following that in what he said about Mr Hands, he asked?

Mr Bercow said that if he caused offence he was happy to apologise, but he did not think Mr Hands would mind.