Andrea Leadsom reignites her feud with ex-Speaker John Bercow as she jokes he’s the only MP she’d like to tell to ‘F OFF’ in lighthearted ministerial resignation speech
- She used a ministerial resignation speech to mock the ex-Speaker again
- Was taking the Commons through her achievements in Government
- She was axed as business secretary by Boris Johnson in last month’s reshuffle
Former minister Andrea Leadsom tore into her former nemesis John Bercow today, joking that he was the only politician she would want to tell to ‘F off’.
Ms Leadsom, who frequently clashed with the former Speaker in the Commons, used a ministerial resignation speech to wade in on him again, despite his own retirement in November.
Speaking after Prime Minister’s Questions, the ex-business secretary, who was axed by Boris Johnson in a reshuffle last month, highlighted her role in trying to bring about Brexit.
‘Now this time coincided with my first-ever rebellion against a three-line whip as one of 81 Conservatives to vote for a referendum on EU membership, leading to media speculation that I had told the (then) Chancellor George Osborne, if you’ll forgive me Mr Speaker, to ”F off,”’ she told the Commons.
‘Well, I can assure you that there’s only one person to whom I might be tempted to provide such frank advice, and that wouldn’t include any former or current chancellor and certainly not any current Speaker.’
This provoked a smattering of laughter from the Tory benches.
Speaking after Prime Minister’s Questions, the ex-business secretary, who was axed by Boris Johnson in a reshuffle last month, highlighted her role in trying to bring about Brexit
Ms Leadsom (left),who frequently clashed with the former Speaker (right) in the Commons, used a ministerial resignation speech to wade in on him again, despite his own retirement in December.
Boris Johnson was in the Commons, having just taken Prime Minister’s Questions
Ms Leadsom’s sacking was painted as a resignation and she was allowed by the current Speaker Lindsay Hoyle to make a customary statement in the Commons after PMQs.
Ex-chancellor Sajid Javid made a similar address last week after being forced out of the Treasury by the PM’s aide Dominic Cummings.
But his contained several pointed barbs against Mr Johnson and his Government.
In contrast Ms Leadsom’s was mainly a sepia-tinted journey through her political life, plus congratulations on the PM’s impending fatherhood, suggesting she holds out hope for a recall in future.
The only exception was her barbs against Mr Bercow.
They clashed for years, especially while she was Commons Leader, a role that required them to interact regularly in the Chamber.
In 2018 she accused him of calling her a ‘stupid woman’ during an angry exchange in the Commons after PMQs amid a long-running row over alleged bullying.
Despite Mr Bercow’s departure from politics for a role as a pundit, Ms Leadsom has remained on his back.
In January she said he should be barred from the House of Lords if found guilty of bullying staff.
She said said he should not be allowed to ‘skip from one House to the other’ if allegations made by former chief Commons clerk Lord Lisvane – which the former Speaker denies – were proven.
In a damning intervention which could scupper Mr Bercow’s chances of gaining a peerage, he filed a formal complaint against his old boss and passed a dossier of allegations to the parliamentary commissioner for standards.
It comes amid reports than Mr Bercow, who stepped down in November after a decade as Speaker, had been nominated for a peerage by Jeremy Corbyn.