Now on bbc news bercow bows 0ut. 0rder jaunty 605 music. 0rder 0rder. A speaker who did it his way. I dont require any help from a member on the third row who thinks hes got some role to play in these matters. Hes got absolutely no contribution to make whatsoever. On a long and colourful political journey. Im not interested in signing up to a policy that puts europe before britain. Dispensing advice along the way. Calm yourself, man, take some sort of soothing medicament. To his supporters, john bercow has been one of the great speakers, a transformative figure in the stuffy world of westminster. To his critics, he was pompous, biased, even, changing the rules to suit his own agenda. But the decisions he took in this chair over ten years may have changed the course of history, and his distinctive style made him an Unlikely International celebrity. You landed at schiphol this evening. People were yelling, order at you and asking you to take selfies. Yes. This must be a new experience for you. It is a new experience. Years before his became a familiar face on our screens, john bercow made his debut on childrens tv alongside ed stewpot stewart. Nearly got there, didnt i . Anyway, its time for the boys game now and, lets meet the lads. Theresjohn over there, philip. And yes, he did go home with a crackerjack pencil and pen. Crackerjack john bercows first question time came on bbc tv in 1981, when the future speaker was only just old enough to vote. The young gentleman there, please. Yes, for mrs castle to describe what mr whitelaw said about Financial Assistance as economic nonsense really is utterly absurd. Mrs castle recalls in her recent book that mr callaghan once said that if he were a young man, he would emigrate because he didnt have any of the answers to britains economic or any other problems. I would suggest to mrs castle that the reason she sought to join the European Parliament was precisely the same. Applause. 0k, 0k. Mr whitelaw was talking economic common sense. Hold on, youve made a very good point. I may be an Old Fashioned 21 year old, conference, but i make no apology for saying that the government should not rest until the inflationary disease has been expunged from the british economy once and for all. The only tolerable level of inflation is zero inflation. The young bercow was a leading figure in the anti immigration monday club, on the far right of the conservative party, and a crowd pleasing Party Conference activist. Smaller public sector, an end to punitive taxation and the release of our industry from cumbersome political control. The results of failure in the form of the socialist nightmare hardly bear reflection. Applause. By 1992, he was on the election trail, fighting and losing a labour held seat in bristol. He was to travel a long way politically but even after being elected mp for buckingham in 1997, he continued to fly the flag for euroscepticism. Good afternoon to john bercow mp. Hes a tory eurosceptic and proud of it. Make no mistake, if wejoin the single currency, it will almost certainly fail economically. It is absolute nonsense for britain to sign up to a policy made by people in frankfurt, whom we do not elect and whom we cannot remove. His views and his crockery have changed since his days as an ambitious opposition mp. Marriage to sally illman, a labour activist, coincided with his own politicaljourney. Having been swiftly promoted to the shadow cabinet, he resigned, to rebel against the party line on gay adoption. Youre far too young. As the front bench door closed, another opened, for someone increasingly semi detached from his party. Traditionally, openly campaigning to be speaker was not done. But in 2009, john bercow ran a well organised, professional and successful campaign. The speaker should always be neutral within this chamber, but he or she should not be neutral about this chamber. If elected, i would be a tireless advocate for our political releva nce. So finally, i turn to the world beyond westminster, a reforming speaker needs to become both an advocate and an ambassador for parliament. He must reconnect it with the society which it seeks to represent. I would be comfortable to be both a speaker and a listener. John bercow, 322. Yes sir george young, 271. Applause. Mps had been listening and john bercow was elected on the third ballot. Few tory mps voted for him but most joined in the applause as he was dragged to the speakers chair, a tradition dating back to the days when the speaker would have to communicate mps views to the monarch, which could be a life shortening challenge. The new speaker broke with tradition by abandoning the court dress worn by his predecessors. In its place, a business suit and simple gown. We march on our way. A visual signal of his reforming intentions. Even the clerks who advised him dispensed with their wigs. John bercow changed the way the commons works. Emergency debates became routine. Erskine may, the definitive guide to parliamentary procedure, is now 184 pages longer than it used to be. Under his predecessor, mps could ask urgent questions a few times a year. With speaker bercow in the chair, ministers would be summoned to this dispatch box a few times a week. Urgent question, chris law. Urgent question, mr dominic grieve. Urgent question, diane abbott. Mps were given more chances to question each of the four Prime Ministers of the bercow years. 0rder pmqs now came with added bercow time, routinely lasting almost twice as long as its allotted 30 minutes. David cameron said he wondered on waking whatjohn bercow would do to make his life hell today. 0rder, order. I havent finished. 0rder. Laughter. Cheering. In response to that question. The Prime Minister has finished and he can take it from me that hes finished. Mps oooooh dr liam fox children sing. The bercow modernising influence has been felt outside the chamber, too. Applause. Well done, you, children. Weve got children from the house of commons nursery here. Applause. I must say that i celebrate the house of commons nursery and you wont be entirely surprised to know that i celebrate it partly because, to be honest, and i dont wish to be immodest, it was my idea that we should establish this nursery. John bercow would like to be remembered as the backbenchers speaker. I think i made the immortal statement that i think you annoy members on all front benches from time to time, which is probably a testament to your even handedness. And i think there was not a dry eye in the house because that was true. Youve taken absolutely on board the words of speaker lenthall, that you are there to be guided and act on behalf of our parliament. This parliament is the stronger for your being speaker. 0ur democracy is the stronger for your being the speaker. And whatever you do when you finally step down from parliament, you do so with the thanks of a very large number of people. It is the case, however controversial the role of a backstop may be in other areas, your role as the backbenchers backstop has certainly been one that has been appreciated by individuals across this house. Not an appreciation universally shared in government. Give them an indication, wont you . 0rder. The government chief whip has absolutely no business whatsoever shouting from a sedentary position. 0rder the honourable gentleman will remain in the chamber. The honourable gentleman, the right honourable gentleman, has absolutely no business scurrying out of the chamber. 0rder. The right honourable. 0rder. The. 0rder. The chief whip has absolutely no business. 0rder. We all saw it. 0rder. The right honourable gentleman has no business behaving in that way. Ministers had lost patience a long time ago. In 2015, they tried to change the rules for electing the speaker. The attempted coup failed, to the relief of an emotionaljohn bercow. Applause. 0rder 0rder. The ayes to the right, 202. The noes to the left, 228. Cheering. Applause. John bercow came to the chair promising a clean break with the past, but there were scandals on his watch, too. Colleagues, i wish to make a statement about recent disturbing allegations about a culture of Sexual Harassment at westminster between members and those who work for members. Let me make it clear, there must be zero tolerance of Sexual Harassment or bullying here at westminster or elsewhere. Some of the bullying allegations were close to home. I think our problem was that he would not communicate. It was as if we had to best guess what he wanted and that will always lead to mistakes. This happened a number of times. It seemed to be more frequent. The speaker responded in a way that i can only say is a form of bullying, and that is to show anger, to thump the table, to, you know, say that somebody has failed in front of others. Claims robustly denied byjohn bercow. I have a superb team of dedicated, effective and long serving staff, five of whom have served me for a collective total of over a0 years. I am also happy to confirm that the great majority of people who have left my service have done so on perfectly amicable terms. But some senior mps wanted more action after the publication of a report by the retired High Court Judge dame laura cox. Taunting, mocking, mimicking, deliberately belittling in front of other members, making offensive personal comments about appearance, belittling someones junior status, making lengthy and humiliating tirades of criticism, of abuse in front of colleagues. How can we encourage mr speaker to stop this behaviour . The report is clear that there needs to be a complete change in leadership at the most senior level, including you, mr speaker. Ive spoken very publicly about being bullied for seven years as a teenager, two nervous breakdowns, one episode of hospitalisation through bullying, so i say this without any partisan point, but i find it abhorrent, and it has been members opposite who have used this for their own agenda, using bullying to bully the speaker. 2016, and britain votes to leave the european union. Well at 20 minutes to five, we can now say the decision taken in 1975 by this country to join the Common Market has been reversed by this referendum to leave the eu. The consequences of that vote have dominated parliament ever since, with its referee becoming a key player. As we have seen, john bercow was once a proud eurosceptic, but in the 2016 referendum, he voted remain, and crucially, let people know about it. His handling of brexit legislation, allowing backbench mps to take over the commons agenda, infuriated ministers and brexiteers. For some, this was confirmation that the speaker was no longer impartial. For many of us, we will now have an unsha keable conviction that the referee of our affairs, not least that you gave, not least that you gave. Not least that you gave your opinion and your vote on the issue of brexit publicly, um, that we will have an unshakeable conviction that the referee is no longer neutral. I have always been scrupulously fair to brexiteers and remainers alike, as i have always been to people of different opinions on a miscellany of other issues. That has been the case, it is the case. It will continue to be the case. Newspapers discovered a b s to brexit sticker on a bercow family car. We have all noticed in recent months a sticker in your car making derogatory comments about brexit. No, this is a serious point about partiality. Have you driven that car with the sticker there . That sticker on the subject of brexit happens to be affixed to or in the windscreen of my wifes car. Yes, and im sure the honourable gentleman wouldnt suggest for one moment. Laughter. That a wife is somehow the property or chattel of her husband. Applause. She is entitled to her views. That sticker is not mine and thats the end of it. But it wasnt the end of the arguments overjohn bercows approach to brexit. The ayes to the right, 202. The noes to the left, 432. As government defeats began to mount for theresa may, ministers accused the referee of changing the rules to make it harderfor mps to back her brexit deal. The issue is that the role of the chair is to uphold the rules that parliament has made for itself, not to arbitrarily change those rules. There was nothing arbitrary about the conduct of the chair yesterday. This speaker is well aware of how to go about the business of chairing the proceedings of the house because hes been doing so for nine and a half years, and i hope colleagues will understand when i say that i require no lessons or lectures from others about how to discharge my obligations to parliament and in support of the rights of backbench parliamentarians. A change of Prime Minister and a new brexit deal did not changejohn bercows approach. Todays circumstances are in substance the same as saturdays circumstances. My ruling is therefore that the motion will not be debated today, as it would be repetitive and disorderly to do so. Can you understand, sir, in the light of your comments, why some people perceive, perhaps incorrectly, that the only consistency one can find in your rulings is that they always seem to favour one side of the argument and never the government, who are trying their best to carry out the mandate given to them by the british people in 2016 . I note the dilemmas you face mean that on occasion, you will sometimes have to please some and not others but it is becoming remarkable how often you please one lot and not the other lot. When he was getting the decisions in his favour, he wasnt grumbling. Hes grumbling now because he does not like thejudgment. But the judgment ive made is an honourable and fair one, and im afraid if the honourable gentleman doesnt like it, theres not much i can do about that. John bercow has a way with words. Of that, as he might put it, we can brook of no contradiction. Some mps were said to play bercow bingo, ticking off favourite words from the speakers phrase book. Eyes down anybody who understands the constitution knows that her majesty had no discretion. There was no question of dragging her into it and it is the honourable gentleman opposite, using your favourite word, mr speaker, chuntering away merrily, who simply ought to go back to school and learn about the constitution. A ladybird book can be provided. Well, it is not for me to say, and it was not evident to me, whether the activity was being undertaken merrily but i can certainly confirm that there was chuntering from a sedentary position and i may say, of course, that the expression chuntering from a sedentary position is very commonplace in the work of the house, but i have noticed in my travels to parliaments around the world that it is a source of regular comment and no little amusement. 0rder 0rder. Ive noticed earlier, mr mahmoud, that you seem to be in a very hyper condition today. I would recommend you take some kind of soothing medicament or go and lie down for a little while. Youll probably feel better at the end of it. Mr russell moore, you are an incorrigible individual. Yelling from a sedentary position at the top of your voice at every turn. Calm yourself, man, take some sort of soothing medicament from which you will benefit. Mrjeremy corbyn some detected a jane austen influence in the bercow vocabulary. Could the speaker tell us what hes talking about when he talks about a blind motion . Well, i dont think that what i would call motion exegesis is a matter for the chair. I think it is for the secretary of state to explain the terms of his motion. I am saddened if the honourable gentleman is befuddled and i wouldnt want him to remain in a state of nescience for any length of time, so i hope the secretary of state will elaborate, and then clarity will descend upon the honourable gentleman and all the people of huddersfield. 0rder, order. 0rder. Resume your seat. Resume your seat, mister. 0rder, resume your seat. I dont require any lectures in democracy from the honourable gentleman. I will advise the honourable gentleman of precisely what the position is and it will brook of no contradiction. His unique approach extended to impressions of parliamentarians past and present. As somebody, a very long serving member of this house once said, no longer with us, its not about policies. Its about policies, its not about personality, its not about personality, its about policies. I have made the point often, and forgive me, but i make it again, that i tend to subscribe to the dictum of the late lord whitelaw in these matters. He famously used to say, personally, i think it is better to cross bridges only when i come to them. Mr peter bo o one i call sirjohn ha a ayes. Mr kenneth cla a arke. It wont be the same without him. John bercow announced his departure days after the conservatives said they would defy convention and put a candidate up against him at the next election. At the 2017 election, i promised my wife and children that it would be my last. This is a pledge that i intend to keep. He made a valedictory statement to mps. I have sought to increase the relative authority of this for which i will make absolutely no apology to anyone. Within hours, he became the figurehead of opposition to the governments attempt, later ruled unlawful, to prorogue or suspend parliament for five weeks, amid extraordinary scenes, at 1 20am. This is not a standard or normal prorogation. It is. I dont require any assistance from you, mr stevenson. You wouldnt have the foggiest idea where to start in seeking to counsel me on this before the. I require no response from you. Cheering. I require no response from you, young man. I require no response from you. Get out, man you will not be missed. Do yourjob. I was already. I had made the point, i had already made the point, if people had the manners to listen, which they havent, that. 0rder. That i will play my part. This is not, however, a normal prorogation. It is not typical. It is not standard. It is one of the longest for decades, and it represents not just in the minds of many colleagues but huge numbers of people outside an act of executive fiat. I completely understand why very large numbers of members are much more comfortable staying where they are. Mr stewart, if you dont like it, you are perfectly entitled to your view. I couldnt give a flying flamingo what your view is. Thank you very much indeed. Mps who followed the speaker to the lords were booed. Chanting shame on you shame on you two weeks later, they were back, after the Supreme Court agreed with the speaker, who seemed even more emboldened by his impending departure. Colleagues, welcome back to our place of work. Welcome back, if not for long. The break did not appear to have calmed things. Calm yourself, man. Im very concerned for you. Briefly to animadvert to a possible amendment is orderly, but to dilate upon it is not. I am telling the honourable gentleman what the position is. Dont mix it with the chair. And im on my last day and hes given me my cue, the best thing about switzerland is not its skiing, its not its chocolate, its not its watches, its not its financial services. The best thing about switzerland is roger federer. I want to thank my wife, sally, and our three children, 0liver, freddie and jemima, for the support, stoicism and fortitude which they have displayed through thick and thin over the last decade. Ill never forget it and i will always be grateful for it. Applause. And those were the bercow years. Contentious, polarising, modernising, certainly not dull. He was never going to go quietly but as he heads for the international chat show circuit, perhaps he, too, will discover the merits of a soothing medicament. 0rder, order hello there. Parts of england and wales look extremely wet on thursday with the risk of localised flooding in places and the risk of some travel disruption, all courtesy of this new area of low pressure thanks of this new area of low pressure to an almost statil weather thanks to an almost stationary weather front tied into this area of low pressure which will park itself on top of the uk. After a pretty wet night for parts of england and wales as that weight rain band has been falling northwards, it will end up in parts of east anglia and Northern England into north wales. The north and south of it through the day, we should see some sunshine and also some showers will stop concerns for this portion of the country which could see some, at times, heavy and persistent rain, certainly for Northern England and north wales where they could be some localised flooding and travel disruption, it could feel cold and raw with this east north easterly wind. I can to the north of it, some sunshine, the best of it across western scotland. A few showers here and injury on the hills was a street in the north and a few heavy, maybe thundery showers in the south and south west but also some sunshine. Temperature wise, maybe meeting 10 reaching 10 degrees in the south but it will be a really cold day pretty much wherever you are, temperatures in single figures will stop it continues to rein through the latter pa rt continues to rein through the latter part of the day and into the evening across the same areas so again, the risk of flooding. The rain band will also pivot and turn in towards the south east of the uk. Under clear skies to the north and south of it, it will be cold night where you have the cloud and around 3 6d. The area of low pressure slips into the near continent. A bit of a hang back with that weather front but a ridge of High Pressure builds in to the rest of the country so it is going to be a cold, frosty start of the north and the west but bright with plenty of sunshine possibly looks like the sunshine will continue to build in too many central areas but will still have a bit of cloud. 0ne too many central areas but will still have a bit of cloud. One or two showers still have a bit of cloud. One or two s howe rs a cross still have a bit of cloud. One or two showers across the east of england thanks to that weather front. Actually day wherever you are at least there will be more sunshine around to compensate. And then through friday night, we eventually lose the weather front and the clear skies, it turns really cold and frosty but the next frontal system will at arrive across the west and maybe not quite as cold for Northern Ireland to start saturday morning as it will be across the rest of the country. So, saturday starts cold and frosty for many but we will have that rain quickly spreading to many areas throughout the day, some heavy, and then on sunday, at the gradual improvement. As the rain clears away, we should see more sunshine around. Welcome to bbc news, im mike embley. Our top stories president trumps impeachment inquiry goes public. After weeks of testimony behind closed doors hearings are set to be broadcast live. Tear gas and rubber bullets take their toll in chile. Nearly two hundred people are treated for severe eye injuries following three weeks of protests. The uks Election Campaign gets formally underway but Prime Minister borisjohnsons big speech is overshadowed by resignations from both main parties. And levelling the playing field. Australias female Football Team strike a landmark deal for pay parity