Tory MP James Duddridge insists Bercow is 'no longer impartial'

A Tory backbench MP who tabled a motion of no confidence in the Commons Speaker has said it is not possible for John Bercow to act impartially during Brexit debates in the Commons.

James Duddridge, a former Government whip and junior Foreign Office minister, tabled the motion over Mr Bercow's controversial veto of a speech in Parliament by Donald Trump.
Mr Bercow has again been in the headlines after video emerged in which he reportedly revealed his voting stance on Brexit during a question and answer session with students at Reading University on 3 February.
In the footage, seen by The Sunday Telegraph, he reportedly said: "Personally, I voted to Remain. I thought it was better to stay in the European Union than not."


:: Speaker hits back in fresh row over political bias
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live, Mr Duddridge said he was "amazed" at the level of support for his motion.
He said: "I think there will be a vote of no confidence and I think he will go.
"There's absolutely no way Speaker Bercow can sit in the chair on European issues.
"When you become Speaker you must be impartial. He's no longer impartial, he's no longer able to continue to do the role, which is why I think the House will vote him down in a vote of no confidence.
"In reality he may see the lie of the land and go before he's pushed."

Leader of the Commons David Lidington said on Sunday there would be a "strong" reaction to Mr Bercow's latest remarks.
He told the BBC's Andrew Marr show: "John has his very strong supporters as well as his strong critics in the House of Commons, but we shall have to see how members as a whole respond."
Parliament requires that the Speaker, as the highest authority of the House of Commons, remains politically impartial at all times.
Professor Vernon Bogdanor, a constitutional historian at King's College London, said Mr Bercow's position would become untenable if he was seen as a divisive figure in the Commons.

He told Sky News: "Just as the Queen is a servant of the state and therefore cannot speak out on any public issues because that would divide the state, so John Bercow is a servant of the Commons and can't speak out in public on any political issues because that would divide MPs."
A spokeswoman for Mr Bercow said that how the Speaker cast his ballot in the Brexit poll had no impact on his ability to deal fairly with all MPs.
She said: "The record shows that he has rigorously facilitated the raising of concerns of those on both sides of this argument, as he does on every other issue.
"The Speaker's impartiality is required on matters of debate before the House, and he has been scrupulous in ensuring that both sides of the argument are always heard."
Labour has come out in support of Mr Bercow, with the party's deputy leader Tom Watson telling the Andrew Marr show: "He is one of the great Speakers the House of Commons has seen."
Mr Trump may end up addressing a mass rally during his state visit later this year after he was blocked from speaking to both houses of Parliament.
An event could be staged in Birmingham, with proceeds raised from ticket sales going to the Royal British Legion, according to reports.