Why John Bercow blames Jo Swinson for thwarting the plot to stop Brexit

What’s John Bercow up to these days? The ex-Speaker is enjoying the limelight, of course, but he isn’t necessarily cashing in. Last Friday, he did a solo gig at a community centre in Holland Park where his appearance raised thousands of pounds for a local charity. He charged no fee. And he spent time before and after his speech chatting happily to anyone who approached him. But then Bercow has always liked to talk. His parents, who noticed their son’s verbosity, said:

‘John, generally speaking, is generally speaking.’

He made this joke against himself during his hour-long speech. It wasn’t his only essay in self-mockery:

‘We may be short,’ he said, on behalf of smaller people everywhere, ‘but we’re environmentally friendly. We take up less space.’

He denied that he was the shortest Speaker in Commons history and he named three of his predecessors, from medieval times, whose stature was less than his own, ‘although that was after they’d been beheaded.