‘Are those pigs I see flying?’: Bercow ridicules Tory minister over post-Brexit trade deal with US

Former Speaker pours doubt on government plans

John Bercow has ridiculed the Government’s chances of quickly negotiating a post-Brexit trade deal with Donald Trump’s US.

The former speaker goaded foreign secretary Dominic Raab during an exchange on Sky News, asking him how long a deal would take to negotiate.

“They’ve of course got an election coming up so I think there is an opportunity before that and we ought to give it a good go,” Mr Raab said.

Mr Bercow, who stepped down as Commons Speaker at the beginning of November replied: “What are those pigs I see flying in front of my very eyes?”

But Mr Raab defended his position.

“I tell you this: Mike Pompeo, who is the US Secretary of State said to me: we are ready, pen in hand, to do a deal once you’ve left the EU,” he told the broadcaster.

“So one of the things that this will have a knock-on effect is I think a lining up of those countries that wanted to see which way the wind was going on Brexit because that will affect the trade negotiations.

“Not only if this is borne out it will be good news for delivering Brexit but also the wider global Britain agenda which certainly the foreign Office were very keen on.”

Mr Raab faces a battle to hold onto his seat of Esher and Walton in Surrey, which has been targeted by the Lib Dems.

Mr Bercow, who was Speaker for a decade between 2009 and 2019, has spent the last two months voicing his political opinions – which he was bound to keep private during his tenure presiding of parliament.