John Bercow defects to Labour while criticising ‘xenophobic’ Tories

Ex-Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

John Bercow, the former Conservative MP who became the scourge of Brexiteers as Commons Speaker, says he has switched allegiances to join the Labour Party.

Mr Bercow said he regards the Tories under British prime minister Boris Johnson as “reactionary, populist, nationalistic and sometimes even xenophobic”.