The divisive Speaker of the Commons claimed expenses on a range of luxury activities and goods, figures released to the Mail Online under the freedom of information act have revealed. A staggering £12,352 of public money was spent to fund Mr Bercow and his secretary’s trip to Canada to meet business leaders last July. A further £660 was forked out on the four star Lords Nelson hotel, to ensure he had a comfy stay during the three-day conference.
Further trips to Switzerland in September 2018 cost £389 and a trip to Latvia in March set taxpayers’ back a further £1285.
Hard-working Britons are also funding the Speaker to the tune of thousands for him and his family to live in a rent-free apartment at Parliament.
Meanwhile Mr Bercow is also understood to have claimed around £113 for his monthly Sky Sports subscription and £41 worth of on-demand films, although this was later reimbursed.
A further £235 was spent on drinks at a dinner for senior parliamentarians as well as £70 on photos to send to his ‘fan club’.
The Commons Speaker is no stranger to controversy and has fuelled divisions in parliament throughout the Brexit process with his choice of amendments for MPs to vote on.
He also hit the headlines for refusing to let the Prime Minister bring back her withdrawal agreement to parliament without any changes.
Mr Bercow also vetoed Donald Trump from addressing parliament during his first visit to the UK as US President in 2017.
The Speaker had insisted Mr Trump should not be allowed to do so because of MPs’ “opposition to racism and to sexism”.
Mr Bercow has been the Commons Speaker since June 2009.
Previously he had reportedly told friends he was planning to stand down in the summer, having spent 10 years in the post.
However earlier this week, he stated he had no immediate plans to step down while “momentous events taking place in Parliament”.
He added it was not “sensible to vacate the chair” at the moment.
Mr Bercow told The Guardian: “I’ve never said anything about going in July of this year.
“Secondly, I do feel that now is a time in which momentous events are taking place and there are great issues to be resolved and in those circumstances, it doesn’t seem to me sensible to vacate the chair.
“If I had any intention to announce on that matter I would do so to Parliament first.”
A spokeswoman for Mr Bercow said: “The Speaker attends the annual G7 Speakers’ conference wherever it is held.
“Last year, this was in Nova Scotia, and followed the G7 summit of world leaders in Quebec, which was attended by the Prime Minister.
“The Speaker and his Private Secretary travel business class on long haul flights.”
Regarding the Panel of Chairs, the spokeswoman said: “The Speaker’s office pays for the drinks reception beforehand and drinks served at the table.
“The panel of chairs’ pay for their own food.”
Mr Bercow is not restricted by the same spending rules as MPs, who are not allowed to claim expenses for food or alcohol.
