John Bercow, former UK Speaker and scourge of Brexiteers, joins Opposition Labour Party

Bercow was a Conservative lawmaker for 12 years until being elected in 2009 to the neutral role of Speaker, responsible for running the House and interpreting Parliament’s rules of procedure London: Former House of Commons Speaker John Bercow, who gained international fame refereeing the country’s political drama over Brexit, said Sunday he has quit the governing Conservatives to join the Opposition Labour Party. Bercow was a Conservative lawmaker for 12 years until being elected in 2009 to the neutral role of Speaker, responsible for running House of Commons business and interpreting Parliament’s rules of procedure. Bercow told The Observer newspaper that the Conservatives under Johnson had become “reactionary, populist, nationalistic and sometimes even xenophobic.” “The conclusion I have reached is that this government needs to be replaced,” he said. “The reality is that the Labour Party is the only vehicle that can achieve that objective.” Justice Secretary Robert Buckland rejected the characterization of the party as xenophobic, and said Bercow’’s decision to forgo political neutrality “actually has the effect of diminishing the force of his voice in politics.”