THE idea that Boris Johnson will be able to simply ‘Get Brexit Done’ after the UK election is “for the birds”, the former speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow has said.

Despite having a crucial role in the Brexit debate over the past three years, Mr Bercow has been unable to speak his mind due to his position.

But he is now letting loose on his former colleagues, telling a gathering in Kildare today that the UK could still be debating Brexit in 15 years’ time.

“I do not myself believe that the election will resolve Brexit. The election might produce a majority government, and if it does the prime minister will be absolutely entitled to come back to the House of Commons and to seek the implementation, and the transposition into legislative and statutory form of his deal,” Mr Bercow said.

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“But that isn’t getting Brexit done. I understand the election slogan and it’s perfectly legitimate for such a such going to be used, but this, my friends, is phase one,” he added.

He went on to say that “the idea that we are, anytime soon, going to get Brexit done is in my judgement for the birds”.

Mr Bercow said politicians will “most certainly” be dealing with the fallout for five years, “in all probability for the next 10 years” and “quite conceivably for the next 15 years”.

He argued a second referendum was still “on the table” and there there was “a compelling case” for one as a way of breaking the deadlock that has pushed other important issues off the UK political agenda for the last three years.

Mr Bercow’s address to more than 350 guests at a Co Kildare Chamber of Commerce Business Breakfast in the K Club comes just as he has signed a deal to write his memoirs.

While repeatedly shouting his catchphrase, ‘Order’, he told the audience he now has the freedom to speak after a decade of being the impartial voice in the House of Commons.

Many within the Conservative Party have argued that he was far from a fair adjudicator while in the chair – but Mr Bercow said today that his job was never to be “a craven lickspittle” for the Government.

“The Speaker’s job is not to support the government or to support the opposition, the speaker’s job is to assert the primacy of Parliament,” he said.

Speaker’s corner

Mr Bercow told a number of anecdotes about his time in the chair, including one story about suspending the DUP’s Nigel Dodds from the Chamber for being disruptive.

Under the rules, the Northern Ireland MP was required to leave the Palace of Westminster for the day.

“Nigel accepted it with equanimity and good grace, but I must tell you that I was subsequently advised after Nigel had left the chamber and went to depart the Palace of Westminster from the central lobby of the House that he was met by a member of his office staff with a packed suitcase.

“In other words, the whole thing was premeditated. He had been absolutely hell bent on getting himself kicked out of the chamber that day – although I of course was not to know that that the time.”

Speaking about disputes with former Prime Minister David Cameron, he cited an occasion when Mr Cameron was forced to come answer questions in the chamber against his will.

“I’ve never forgotten David Cameron being rather irritated with me for granting the question to him, which was inconvenient that day for him to answer,” Mr Bercow said.

“As he left the chamber, a few minutes later that he wanted, in a rather bad temper he said to me, ‘Mr Speaker, I do have a plane to catch you know’.

“And I said: ‘Yes, I appreciate that. But, with the very greatest of respect, it is your plane. It will go when you’re ready.”

He described Brexit as the “greatest foreign policy blunder that Britain has made in the post war period” and criticised Theresa May for not seeking cross-party support for her negotiations with the EU.

“She completely underestimated the overwhelming likelihood, which could have been predicted at any time, that what the Union would do was stand by an existing dedicated and loyal member in Ireland, rather than with the country that was leaving,” he said.

Mr Bercow became slightly emotional as he spoke about murdered Labour MP Jo Cox, whom he described as a friend.

He said it was “truly horrific” that she could be killed in broad daylight and three years later politicians are “still suffering abuse on a huge scale”.

“I’ve had loads of death threats which will be reported to the police and I’ll try to show my kids from them.”

But he said women get a “disproportionate” amount of the abuse.

Mr Bercow spoke fondly of his relationship with Ireland and was with a customised Irish passport wallet by Tim Dooley, CEO of the Dooley Insurance Group who sponsored the event.

The former Speaker said Irish people had displayed “a relentlessly upbeat optimistic positive outlook based upon a justified belief in the talents and the commercial capacity of the people of Ireland”.

“Although it has to be said that that capacity to succeed, to prosper, to trade and to export manifestly depends on a recognition of the continent to which you are inextricably related and, of which you are part, and that is Europe.”

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