Andrea Leadsom reignites feud with John Bercow with 'F OFF' jibe

Andrea Leadsom reignites her feud with ex-Speaker John Bercow as she jokes he’s the only MP she’d like to tell to ‘F OFF’ in lighthearted ministerial resignation speech

• She used a ministerial resignation speech to mock the ex-Speaker again  
• Was taking the Commons through her achievements in Government 
• She was axed as business secretary by Boris Johnson in last month’s reshuffle 

Former minister Andrea Leadsom tore into her former nemesis John Bercow today, joking that he was the only politician she would want to tell to ‘F off’.

Ms Leadsom, who frequently clashed with the former Speaker in the Commons, used a ministerial resignation speech to wade in on him again, despite his own retirement in November.

Speaking after Prime Minister’s Questions, the ex-business secretary, who was axed by Boris Johnson in a reshuffle last month, highlighted her role in trying to bring about Brexit.  

‘Now this time coincided with my first-ever rebellion against a three-line whip as one of 81 Conservatives to vote for a referendum on EU membership, leading to media speculation that I had told the (then) Chancellor George Osborne, if you’ll forgive me Mr Speaker, to ”F off,”’ she told the Commons.

Ms Leadsom (left),who frequently clashed with the former Speaker (right)  in the Commons, used a ministerial resignation speech to wade in on him again, despite his own retirement in December.

Speaking after Prime Minister’s Questions, the ex-business secretary, who was axed by Boris Johnson in a reshuffle last month, highlighted her role in trying to bring about Brexit

Boris Johnson was in the Commons, having just taken Prime Minister’s Questions

‘Well, I can assure you that there’s only one person to whom I might be tempted to provide such frank advice, and that wouldn’t include any former or current chancellor and certainly not any current Speaker.’

This provoked a smattering of laughter from the Tory benches. 

Despite Mr Bercow’s departure from politics for a role as a pundit, Ms Leadsom has remained on his back. 

In January she said he should be barred from the House of Lords if found guilty of bullying staff.

She said said he should not be allowed to ‘skip from one House to the other’ if allegations made by former chief Commons clerk Lord Lisvane – which the former Speaker denies – were proven.

In a damning intervention which could scupper Mr Bercow’s chances of gaining a peerage, he filed a formal complaint against his old boss and passed a dossier of allegations to the parliamentary commissioner for standards.

It comes amid reports than Mr Bercow, who stepped down in November after a decade as Speaker, had been nominated for a peerage by Jeremy Corbyn.

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