John Bercow has denied the prospect of a peerage from Keir Starmer had anything to do with his defection to the Labour Party.
The former Commons Speaker aid on Sunday there has been “no barter, no trade, no deal whatsoever” after launching an attack on the Conservatives under Boris Johnson as he switched sides.
The former Conservative MP who was the non-partisan Speaker of the Commons for ten years was not nominated by the government for the House of Lords as is customary because of his perceived anti-Brexit stance.
Bercow made numerous enemies among Tory Brexit-supporting MPs due to a series of decisions perceived as favouring the Remain camp leading to Boris Johnson breaking with long-standing convention to elevate a retiring speaker to the House of Lords.
Critics said Bercow’s weekend defection to Labour was part of a “cunning” plan to get a Labour nomination to the Lords.
But Bercow told Sky’s Trevor Phillips On Sunday: “I’ve had absolutely no discussion whatsoever, either with Keir Starmer or any other member of the Labour leadership about that matter."
“There has been no barter, no trade, no deal whatsoever. And if I may very politely say so, and I do, the people who make what they think is that potent and coruscating criticism of me are operating according to their own rather low standards.”
Asked what he would do if the Labour leader rang him and offered him a peerage, Bercow said: “It isn’t in my mind, it’s not part of the game plan, I haven’t discussed it, I’m not waiting for it. What I’m motivated by is a commitment to equality, social justice and internationalism.”
