Bercow lets rip: speaker takes aim at brexiteers in ‘alternative ch...

A fixture on Channel 4 since 1993, it is seen as a rival to the Queen’s own festive broadcast. But Mr Bercow, 56, who faced accusations of anti-Brexit bias during his time in the Speaker’s

chair, is likely to have people reaching for the remote control as he begins his festive message. Speaking from a classroom at his children's state secondary school, he will say:

"I passionately support parliamentary democracy. For all the criticism and abuse lobbed at MPs, I'm still a cheerleader for them." He will call for the nation to "take

inspiration from young people" and "try to re-establish a civility of discourse". Mr Bercow will say: “It would be good for Parliament, for democracy and for our own mental

health. "This Christmas, I urge that political difference, personal courtesy should become our guiding lights in 2020, in the Commons, in our workplaces and in our homes." The

Alternative Christmas Message will be broadcast on Christmas Day at 2.25pm, just before the Queen's Christmas Broadcast begins at 3pm on BBC One. Mr Bercow took the Speaker’s chair in

June 2009, promising to serve "no more than nine years in total". He abandoned that commitment ahead of the 2017 snap election, but allegations of bullying by former members of his

staff, which he denied, led to fresh calls for him to quit. Mr Bercow, who frequently had to raise his voice in his former role, will warn "democracy shouldn't be about decibel

levels". An "opinion is no more valid because it is expressed more loudly, repeatedly or abusively", he says. And he will add: "There are people who cannot entertain the

idea that anyone can honourably hold an opinion which differs from their own." Members of the UK Youth Parliament "respected one another and behaved better than many political

campaigners two, three and four times their age", he says. Mr Bercow, who has been replaced as Speaker by Sir Lindsay Hoyle, also raises concerns that social media can "amplify

hatred, racism, misogyny and abuse". • _THE ALTERNATIVE CHRISTMAS MESSAGE_ WILL AIR ON DECEMBER 25 AT 2.25PM ON CHANNEL 4.