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England - Bercow Becomes First Jewish Speaker of UK House of Commons |
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John Bercow
Newly elected speaker of the...
Bercow, the 46-year-old member for Buckingham, succeeded Michael Martin, who was forced to resign due to his handling of the MPs expenses scandal.
The son of a Jewish taxi driver, Bercow finished first in all three rounds of voting by the 646 MPs, defeating Tory backbencher Sir George Young after early favorite Margaret Beckett withdrew.
"I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the confidence that you placed in me," Bercow said after the results were announced.
Ten British lawmakers vied Monday to become the new speaker of the House of Commons, after the incumbent was ousted amid a scandal over lawmakers' excessive expense claims.
Each of the candidates has promised sweeping reforms aimed at restoring public trust in the country's tainted politics.
The previous speaker, Scottish lawmaker Martin, was the first presiding officer forced out in more than 300 years. He was blamed for failing to push through reforms to the expense system, and had made repeated attempts to block publication of expenses before being overruled by Britain's courts.
Documents leaked to a newspaper last month revealed that lawmakers had billed the public for items including pornographic movies, horse manure and repairs to tennis courts.
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Read Comments (13) — Post Yours »
1
Jun 22, 2009 at 07:56 PM Anonymous Says:
While Bercow is not a religious jew, he is a strong supporter of EY and has not been involved in any of the crazy efforts in the UK to support the Palestinians. He was also one of the few MPs who did not charge the taxpayers for his personal expenses in the latest scandal to hit Commons.
2
Jun 22, 2009 at 08:00 PM Charlie Hall Says:
The respect that his colleagues have for MP Bercow is seen by the fact that he is a member of the Conservative Party, but the House of Commons currently has a large Labour majority. Mazel Tov to MP Bercow!
3
Jun 22, 2009 at 08:22 PM Anonymous Says:
“ While Bercow is not a religious jew, he is a strong supporter of EY and has not been involved in any of the crazy efforts in the UK to support the Palestinians. He was also one of the few MPs who did not charge the taxpayers for his personal expenses in the latest scandal to hit Commons. ”
Compare him to Nancy Pelosi and draw your own conclusion.
4
Jun 22, 2009 at 10:18 PM Milhouse Says:
“ Compare him to Nancy Pelosi and draw your own conclusion. ”
No such comparison would make sense. In the American House the speakership is a political position; the speaker is the majority leader. The speakership of the House of Commons is a strictly nonpartisan position, and on assuming it Barcow will have resigned from the Conservative Party.
5
Jun 22, 2009 at 10:15 PM Milhouse Says:
“ The respect that his colleagues have for MP Bercow is seen by the fact that he is a member of the Conservative Party, but the House of Commons currently has a large Labour majority. Mazel Tov to MP Bercow!
”
Not really. It was a Tory's turn to be speaker. In fact it was overdue, because the last time a speaker was chosen the customary rotation was broken, and a Labour speaker was elected to succeed another Labour speaker. To have three in a row from the same party would not have been nice. So the odds were good that a Tory would get it this time. And among Tory MPs, Bercow has been close to the Labour Party, and has long been rumoured to be on the verge of crossing the floor, waiting only for the moment when he could do the most damage to the Tories. So this is the equivalent of the Senate Democrats giving a powerless office to Arlen Specter, and counting it as a Republican "turn".
6
Jun 23, 2009 at 06:02 AM Anonymous Says:
You gotta love the brits, they have a word for everything, like "bankbencher." Sounds like something you'd call a rookie kollel yingerman.
7
Jun 23, 2009 at 09:08 AM Milhouse Says:
“ You gotta love the brits, they have a word for everything, like "bankbencher." Sounds like something you'd call a rookie kollel yingerman. ”
Um, that's "backbencher", and it's used in America too. It just means someone who sits on the back benches. The fact that you haven't heard it in your cheder doesn't mean anything.
8
Jun 23, 2009 at 10:52 AM Anonymous Says:
“ You gotta love the brits, they have a word for everything, like "bankbencher." Sounds like something you'd call a rookie kollel yingerman. ”
The correct wording is, "backbencher."
9
Jun 23, 2009 at 11:11 AM Anonymous Says:
The article should have mentioned Benjamin Disraeli, who was Britain's first and only Jewish prime minister. He served from 1874-1880.
10
Jun 23, 2009 at 11:04 AM dot dot dot Says:
Is it safe to assume Bercow is short for Bercowitz? Or Berkowitz?
11
Jun 23, 2009 at 03:11 PM West of the Pennines Says:
“ The article should have mentioned Benjamin Disraeli, who was Britain's first and only Jewish prime minister. He served from 1874-1880. ”
He parents shmad R"L. So as far as we're concerned, he was Jewish, but as for the British he was one of theirs.
12
Jun 23, 2009 at 04:53 PM Anonymous Says:
a yiddish speaker, what the hell next.
13
Jun 24, 2009 at 04:47 AM Fred in UK Says:
Son of a Jewish Taxi Driver born in Edgware London -said to have belonged to Bnei Akiva but no one of his age remembers him in BA .
No mention of his mother's halachic status or of his wifes -----hum hum
Disraeli was "converted " just before his Bar Mitzvah but the Conservatives etc still hated the "Old Jew " as Bismarck called him and the Liberal leader of the time Gladstone hated his guts .
Ironically while the Parliamnet Tv Channel had a break in transmissions from The House of Commons the night he was elected and the Queen had to sign some papers ,they showed again a programme [again ] about Gladstone and his hatred of Disraeli and his "machinations " !
Bercow as far as I know has never explicitely supported or opposed Israel publicly
If he succeeds they will forget his his father - but at present the Daily Mail for hwom Melanie Phillips and Alex Brummer write rae having a nasty go at home implying he is a "shyster " . Thats the British "fair play " system .