Bercow under FIRE: Iraqi-born Tory MP slams Speaker and tells him to consider his position

Nadhim Zahawi, MP for Stratford-upon-Avon, said the House of Commons Speaker could be seen as a “hypocrite” for his position on the US President speaking to politicians in the Royal Gallery.

Mr Bercow won the applause of many MPs as he told the Commons on Monday he would strongly oppose inviting Mr Tump to address Parliament.

But Mr Zahawi, who recently spoke out against President Trump's executive order which targeted immigrants and refugees from certain Muslim-majority nations, said other leaders of countries had been invited to speak to Parliament when many were against it, including Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2015.

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Nadhim Zahawi has labelled the Speaker as

I think the speaker was unwise to speak out.

Nadhim Zahawi

He told BBC Radio 4: “I think the Speaker was unwise to speak out. He prides himself on his neutrality and speaking for the whole of Parliament. I think to become the story is a bad place to be.

“Now I hope that he will come to the chamber and explain to colleagues why he thought that inviting President Xi for example to address both houses, many of my colleagues are very upset about China’s policy in Tibet and other issues.

“He opens himself up to the accusation of hypocrisy. On the Queen’s Sapphire Jubilee to take a political position so plainly against the elected leader of our closest ally when we are urging them, as I was last week, I’m against the travel ban especially for banning refugees from Syria who are desperate, who have been vetted.

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John Bercow is opposed to the US President addressing Parliament

“But it’s unwise to ban the legitimately elected President of the United States of America, our closest ally when we’re trying to urge them not to shoot from the hip, not to ban people, to exercise restraint, look at evidence.

“Yet we are now, or at least the speaker of Parliament, who has a big, big responsibility, is now talking the language of bans.”

Mr Zahawi, a former adviser to David Cameron, added he would welcome Mr Trump’s visit as an opportunity to question the newly appointed leader on his immigration ban.

He said: “I’d like him to come to Parliament as soon as possible because I’d like to eyeball him and talk about the presidential order on immigration.

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People demonstrate during a protest at Downing Street in central London against US President Donald Trump's controversial travel ban on refugees and people from seven mainly-Muslim countries

“I just think politicising the issue from the speaker of Parliament who’s meant to be impartial, neutral, I think it also puts the Palace under huge pressure.”

Pushed on whether Mr Bercow should step down before Donald Trump’s visit, Mr Zahawi said it was “up for him to decide” and he was coming to the end of the nine year term he said he would serve when he took the role.

He added: “He ought to think about his position and he should come to Parliament and at least explain.”

The House of Commons Speaker spoke out against the President addressing MPs during a proposed State Visit as a mark of “our opposition to sexism and racism”.

His remarks came as he was quizzed by Labour’s Stephen Doughty, who asked if the Speaker was aware of the grave concern from some MPs regarding an address by Mr Trump to politicians in the Palace of Westminster.

Mr Bercow said: “I would not wish to issue an invitation to President Trump to speak in the Royal Gallery."

Original Article