Crass or rather splendid?: Merry Christmas from John and Sally Bercow
By Joseph Willits
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It would probably be fair to say that anything the Speaker and his wife Sally do, will attract criticism from somewhere. The latest in a long list of 'what's wrong with the Bercow's' is a Christmas card, originally a Sun cartoon by Andy Davey.
The image, bought by the Bercows for £300, with the money going to charity, shows a red-faced order shouting Speaker berating his wife Sally as she answers the doors to paparazzi - making light of her time on Celebrity Big Brother where she became best friends with Paddy Doherty of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding fame. John Bercow apparently wasn't very happy about her Big Brother appearance.
Writing in the Mail, Kirsty Walker describes the Christmas card as a "self-deprecating image in the style of an old-style saucy seaside postcard", and her article uses comments from Tory MP Rob Wilson, an outspoken critic of the Bercows, who says the "image shows that his wife clearly has a single minded view of herself."
We're not sure about other Tory MPs, but the card was certainly part of the collection of Christmas cards in Edward Leigh's office. One MP, Peter Bone felt that the card was an apt and delightful conclusion of a successful year for the Speaker. He said:
"I think the Speaker has entered into the Christmas spirit. As in some quarters he has the reputation for being pompous and arrogant his decision to poke fun at himself and his wife in his Christmas card shows just how wrong that view is. I for one think he has had a splendid year championing the cause of Parliament and backbenchers in particular."
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