Ex-UK Speaker Bercow, scourge of Brexiteers, joins Labour

Former U.K. House of Commons Speaker John Bercow says he has quit the governing Conservatives to join the opposition Labour Party

LONDON -- Former U.K. House of Commons Speaker John Bercow, who gained international fame refereeing the country’s political drama over Brexit, said Sunday he has quit the governing Conservatives to join the opposition Labour Party. Bercow was a Conservative lawmaker for 12 years until being elected in 2009 to the neutral role of Speaker, responsible for running House of Commons business and interpreting Parliament's rules of procedure. He enraged the Conservative governments of Prime Minister Theresa May and her successor, Boris Johnson, by giving legislators chances to stymie proposed legislation about the U.K.’s exit from the European Union. He became a hero to opponents of Brexit and a villain to its supporters, and was recognized around the world for his loud ties and even louder calls of “Order!”