Commons speaker John Bercow faces no confidence motion following Trump parliament ban

A Tory MP has mounted a bid to oust John Bercow as Speaker of the House of Commons by tabling a motion of no confidence.

It comes after Bercow was accused of damaging the UK's special relationship with the US by telling MPs he was "strongly opposed" to President Donald Trump addressing parliament during his state visit later this year.

He said on Monday (6 February) his decision was guided by Parliament's "opposition to racism and to sexism and our support for equality before the law and an independent judiciary".

But James Duddridge MP has now tabled a motion of no confidence against Bercow, accusing him of lacking neutrality as Speaker and having "overstepped the mark a number of times".

He said that support for his motion could result in the Speaker being forced out.

Duddridge, MP for Rochford and Southend East, told Sky News: "This most recent incident, where he used the Speaker's chair to pronounce his views on an international situation in some quite detailed and lengthy manner, is wholly inappropriate.

"[It] means he can no longer reasonably chair as Speaker any debate on those subjects."

Any vote of Bercow's future is unlikely to gain enough traction, however, with Labour and SNP MPs expressing strong support for his stance against Trump.

Jeremy Corbyn had tweeted: "Well said John Bercow. We must stand up for our country's values. Trump's State Visit should not go ahead."

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron also said: "This is the right decision by The Speaker.

"The Prime Minister might wish to kowtow to the nasty misogynist that now sits in the Oval Office but no-one else does. We do not want him to speak to us. He is not welcome."

In a bid to defend himself, Bercow insisted he was "was honestly and honourably seeking to discharge my responsibilities to the House".

But the Speaker faced criticism from Lord Fowler, the speaker of the House of Lords, who said he had not been consulted over the Trump ban. He went on to say he kept an "open mind" about the Trump addressing Parliament.

The government also distanced itself from Bercow's comments, while senior Conservatives were said to be highly critical of the remarks against Trump.

One unnamed Tory MP and former cabinet member told the BBC that Bercow "must be close to standing down", while another said his remarks had gone "way beyond what is acceptable". Another called it an embarrassment to the Commons.

The date for a debate on Duddridge's motion has not been set.