Charismatic former speaker joins UK's Labour Party

The British politician John Bercow, who was speaker of the House of Commons for a decade and who, in overseeing debates, became known for shouting "Order! Order!", has shunned his former colleagues in the ruling Conservative Party and joined the opposition Labour Party.

The charismatic Bercow, who stood down as speaker and as a lawmaker in 2019, dropped the bombshell in an interview with The Observer newspaper in which he said the Conservative Party had become "reactionary, populist, nationalistic, and sometimes even xenophobic".

Before assuming the impartial and highly-respected role of speaker in 2009, Bercow had been a Conservative Party member of Parliament for 12 years. He resigned from the party in line with protocol to take on the role of speaker.

But his personal political ideology and that of the Conservative Party drifted apart during his decade of impartiality.

Indeed, some lawmakers said they noted his drift to the left, and one unnamed "senior government source" told the BBC: "This will surprise nobody."

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland told Sky News Bercow "left the Conservative Party a long time ago".

"I think him joining a political party actually has the effect of diminishing the force of his voice in politics," Buckland added.

Bercow told Sky News that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has "only a nodding acquaintance with the truth".

"I think that the utter contempt with which he has treated Parliament is lamentable and it has exacerbated the very strong feelings of resentment toward him; because I think a lot of people feel that is not the way to behave," he said.

The Guardian said Bercow also claims Johnson is not interested in people who are less privileged than he is. It said he described Johnson's decision to cut international aid as "utterly shameful".

Bercow infuriated many of his old colleagues in the Conservative Party during debates and votes surrounding the UK's exit from the European Union, when he often seemed to side with lawmakers who wanted the nation to remain a member of the bloc.

The bad blood between him and his former colleagues led to him being snubbed when he retired and, instead of the party nominating him for a lifelong seat in the House of Lords as is traditional for retiring speakers, Downing Street refused to put his name forward.

But Bercow insisted in his interview with The Observer that his defection is not about seeking revenge but "motivated by support for equality, social justice, and internationalism".

"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. There is no other credible option."

The BBC quoted John McDonnell, the Labour Party's former shadow chancellor, as saying Bercow was always "scrupulously fair" in policing Parliament.

"He won our respect, especially for his fight to protect the rights of Parliament," he said. "I wholeheartedly welcome him into the Labour Party."