Speaker Bercow's Trump comments garner strong reactions from both sides

The surprising speech from the UK Parliamentary Speaker, John Bercow, opposing US President Donald Trump from being invited to address Parliament has garnered strong reactions from both sides – with some praising the Speaker's opinion, and others accusing him of overstepping his role.

The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, not a natural ally to Conservative politician Bercow, welcomed the speech, adding that he thought Prime Minister Theresa May should "call off" the state visit entirely.

Other Labour members were louder in their support of Bercow. Former acting Labour Leader Harriet Harman called it "a proud moment for the Commons", adding "racism and sexism not welcome here."

Labour MP Wes Streeting parodied a recent Trump tweet saying that the US Department of Homeland Security had been asked to check people entering the country "VERY CAREFULLY", adding his own comment that "Speaker Bercow has decided to check people coming into our Parliament VERY CAREFULLY."

Former First Minister of Scotland and SNP grandee, Alex Salmond called for "four more years of Speaker Bercow. Well done, Mr Speaker."

However, former Ukip leader and noted Trump ally Nigel Farage attacked Bercow on the BBC, saying he had overreached. He said: "[Trump] is the most important man in the world and for him to have effectively been accused of being sexist and racist by the speaker today is the speaker abusing his position."

Farage also added on Twitter that "For Speaker Bercow to uphold our finest parliamentary traditions, he should be neutral." Journalist Piers Morgan also took to Twitter to accuse Bercow of hypocrisy over the previous state visits of questionable world leaders such as China's President Xi Jinping and the Emir of Kuwait.

The Telegraph, in its Telegraph View section, said that Bercow has "grossly exceeded his authority, seemingly believing himself entitled to wade deep into British foreign policy by dint of his office and his bottomless self-importance". Bercow has "no business" interfering in the relationship between Britain and the US, the paper said.