 Bercow and Leadsom: Points of Order (Video) (Posted November 23, 2018) Tweet As Leader of the House, Andrea Leadsom is expected to appear, except for the Prime Minister, more often at the despatch box than any other member of the cabinet. whereas the Prime Minister answers questions and makes statements on government policy, which falls outside the purview of the Speaker, Leadsom must appear every Thursday to account for the scheduling of parliamentary business in the chamber, a responsibility that she shares with careful proceduralist Speaker John Bercow. As he declares in the clip below, Bercow prioritizes the rights of Parliament and the rights of backbenchers above all other considerations. In that regard, when he perceives a discourtesy toward members stemming from the way that the government conducts business, he tends to express his disapproval in unambiguous terms. Leadsom, by virtue of her position, unfortunately has to field these criticisms, and in the past when her decorum suggests that members are not receiving full, due consideration, the Speaker has not been shy about expressing his disapproval. On this occasion, Bercow and Leadsom have an uncharacteristically protracted, albeit indirect, exchange. Even still, Bercow's responses are much more sanguine than those we have seen in response to similar behavior from other members. Some may speculate that this may be a consequence of heightened scrutiny of his actions in the wake of the Dame Laura Cox Report. That would be a cynical interpretation of events that ignores the good humor that Bercow almost always exhibits during hours upon hours in the chair. |
| Tags | John Bercow | Tom Brake | Andrea Leadsom | Christian Matheson | Barry Sheerman | John Spellar | Pete Wishart |