London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 09, 2026

Bercow attacks Tories claiming party only accept ethnic minority ‘conformists’, calls his abusers ‘bigots’

Bercow attacks Tories claiming party only accept ethnic minority ‘conformists’, calls his abusers ‘bigots’

Former Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow has provoked anger among the Tory faithful after insisting the party only accommodate "ethnic minorities" who play by "the rulebook," otherwise they're "rubbished."

In an interview for a 'Guardian Live' event on Monday night, Bercow -who has been dogged by accusations of bullying by his former parliamentary colleagues since he stepped down from his role in October -laid into the Conservative Party hierarchy's attitude towards ethnic minorities.

It's safe to say the incendiary remarks have not been well-received by Tory supporters. Tom Montgomerie, a party grassroots activist and creator of the ConservativeHome website, branded Bercow's claims as "outrageous." Montgomerie added: "What on earth gives him the authority to insult every ethnic minority Tory MP?"

Another self-confessed Tory angrily tweeted that he was personally "trying to ignore this weasel of a man, but he is winding me up." While author Martin Knight suggested Bercow was behaving like a baby, because he's so far been refused a peerage in the House of Lords.


David Leakey, a former 'Black Rod' -whose main responsibility was to control access to and maintain order within the House of Lords -has filed an official complaint against Bercow for "bullying, intimidation and unacceptable behavior," as has former House clerk, Lord Lisvane.

Bercow rejected allegations leveled against him from what he called a "snobs and bigots faction." He insisted that the one commonality shared by his detractors who are "now going public, briefing, smearing... is that they are institutionalized."

Bercow quit after 10 years as Speaker of the House of Commons, following a number of controversial 'run-ins' with British MPs, many of whom accused him of being too much of an EU 'remainer' during the polarizing Brexit debate.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Tech Pulse: The Future of AI and Screen Culture
Global News Briefing: Escalating Geopolitical Tensions and Corporate Shakeups
Global News Brief: Escalating Conflicts, Public Health Crises, and World Cup Drama
Rare Early Copy of US Declaration of Independence Found in British Archive
Cornish Language Revival Gains Momentum Through Schools and Community Programs
UK Authorities Face Criticism Over Prisoner Early Release Safeguards
Clacton By-Election Set After Nigel Farage Resigns Seat to Trigger Contest
Government Agencies Review Long-Term Fiscal Risks from Aging Population and Low Productivity
UK Heatwaves Expose Pressure on Public Transport and Housing Infrastructure
UK Government Prepares Welfare Review Amid Debate Over Personal Independence Payment Reform
UK Government Expands Rapid Endometriosis Testing Across NHS Services
Vistry Group Issues Profit Warning as UK Housing Market Faces Continued Pressure
Virgin Media Receives Record Twenty-Eight Million Pound Fine Over Contract Cancellation Failures
Office for Budget Responsibility Warns UK Public Finances Face Long-Term Pressure
UK Watchdog Warns Regional Income Gap Has Barely Narrowed in Three Decades
IMF Raises United Kingdom Growth Forecast as Inflation and Energy Pressures Ease
UK Government Launches Regulatory Reform Bill to Speed Up Commercialization of Innovation
Prince Harry Loses Privacy Lawsuit Against Daily Mail Publisher After High Court Rejects Claims
Federal Financial Framework Shifts as Treasury Launches Universal Savings Program for Minors
Jet2 Reports Strong Summer Travel Demand as Bookings Rise Seven Percent
Prince Harry Loses High Court Privacy Case Against Daily Mail Publisher
British Universities Warn Against Potential European Union Tuition Fee Changes
Heal Fertility Clinic Investigated After Embryo Biopsy Sample Mix-Up
Resolution Foundation Warns Regional Income Divide Has Barely Improved Since 1997
British Markets Remain Cautious as Middle East Tensions Rise and Government Transition Nears
Andy Burnham Poised to Become United Kingdom Prime Minister in Expected Political Transition
Nigel Farage Resigns as Member of Parliament Ahead of By-Election Amid Funding Investigation
Trump Declares Iran Ceasefire Over After Renewed Attacks on United States Bases
French Court Allows Le Pen to Run for Presidency, but with an Electronic Tag: "I Will Appeal, and I Will Run"
$1.4 Trillion: The Lawsuit That Could Crush Meta
Europe's Growing Struggle with Extreme Heat and Air Conditioning
UK Daily Briefing: Legal Developments and Social Issues
Political Turmoil and Rising Costs
Anthropic Reengineers Agentic Architecture to Shift Autonomous Workplace Automation to the Cloud
Logic Flaw in Windows 11 Permission Architecture Silently Consumes Hundreds of Gigabytes of Local Storage
Apple Advances Late-Stage Operating Systems with Fourth Beta Deployments
Global Crisis Alert: Escalating Middle East Tensions and UK Political Upheaval
UK Parliament Pushes for Greater Domestic Control Over Critical Technologies
UK Parliament Warns Trade Fair and Exhibition Industry Is Losing Global Competitiveness
Police Launch Murder Investigation After Mother and Two Children Found Dead Near Bedford
British Chambers of Commerce Survey Shows Business Confidence Falls to Post-Pandemic Low
UK Parliament Report Warns Britain Risks Falling Behind in Artificial Intelligence Sovereignty
Office for Budget Responsibility Warns United Kingdom Faces Long-Term Fiscal Pressures
Nigel Farage Resigns as Member of Parliament Amid Financial Scrutiny and Triggers By-Election
Deep Purple Has Released Its Best Album in Decades
UK MPs Criticise Student Loan System as Potentially Mis-Sold to Millions of Borrowers
Policy Groups Propose Bank of England-Backed Solar Loan Scheme for Millions of Homes
UK Health Agency Issues Amber Heat Alerts Across Six Regions as Temperatures Rise
Royal Air Force F-35 Jets Conduct First High North Air Policing Missions From Aircraft Carrier
Major UK Companies Join Government Cybersecurity Pledge Amid Rising Digital Threats
×