John Bercow becomes first Speaker in 230 years not to get a peerage

John Bercow has been snubbed in the New Years honours, as it is believed he will not be offered a peerage, meaning he will not get a seat in the Lords.

Allies of the Prime Minister said he would rip up the convention that Commons Speakers are automatically elevated to the upper chamber when they resign, in the same way Mr Bercow repeatedly ignored parliamentary precedent when dealing with Brexit.

A government source said: ‘No one in this Government will be rushing to give Bercow a peerage. He likes to think of himself as a reforming Speaker, yet he’s been dogged by scandals and given up any pretence he is impartial. 

‘With bullying claims, his Brexit bias and a willingness to ride roughshod over established procedures, this Speaker has undermined public faith in Parliament.’

Reaction to the news on social media was mostly positive, with several people citing his breaches of impartiality and ‘anti-Brexit bias’.

The move to deny Mr Bercow a peerage comes after he tore up the Commons rulebook to allow backbenchers to seize control of the agenda and pass a law delaying Brexit before the general election.