John Bercow lashes out at ‘foolish’ Boris and team for ‘juvenile bed-wetting’

John Bercow hit out at Boris Johnson in outrage during a Sky News interview following the expulsion of MP Julian Lewis from the Conservative Party. The former Speaker of the House branded the Prime Minister and his Government “spiteful and malicious” for their actions. This follows a failed attempt by Downing Street to impose their preferred choice, Chris Grayling as chair of Parliament’s intelligence and security committee (ISC).

Mr Bercow, a close friend of Mr Lewis’, told Sky that he was sure the now-Independent was “disappointed and surprised” by the removal of the Tory whip.

He said: “The Government had been signalling that it had no intention of inerfering or seeking to impose a candidate, but was perfectly ready to leave it to senior parliamentarians on the committee.

“So as senior parliamentarians on the committee exercised their proper role and chose Julian Lewis as the chair, I should imagine he is somewhat taken aback that the Government has reacted in such a spiteful, malicious and frankly petty fashion.

“They had absolutely no business whatsoever interfering in this matter.”

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The Prime Minister had nominated five Conservative MPs for the committee last week, giving them a majority, and so set the stage for Chris Grayling to be nominated chairman.

However, Opposition members feared Mr Grayling, who had supported Mr Johnson in the Tory leadership election, would be too close to Number 10.

Instead, they decided to back Mr Lewis, sparking fury in Downing Street.

Mr Lewis said he considered the attempt to impose Mr Grayling as an “improper request”.

Mr Bercow added that “the right and duty” to appoint the chair of the ISC lay with the committee.

He said: “If the PM didn’t know the providing of the 2013 Justice and Security Act, that is frankly disturbing.

“If he did, that is truly disgraceful.

“The government ought to know when it’s defeated and when it looks frankly a bit foolish.

“They were in breach of the statute in seeking to interfere with the ISC chair election.”