Fighting old battles is the traditional occupation of fallen politicians. Theresa May’s new book, The Abuse of Power, is a classic of the kind. Top of her target list is John Bercow, the former Speaker of the House of Commons. She accuses him of abusing his power in order to frustrate her deal with the EU. He did this, she says, by “overriding the longstanding convention that the government determined the business of the house”. This is a striking claim, raising questions of real constitutional importance. Is there anything in it?
Between 2017 and 2019 May and Boris Johnson faced a situation unprecedented in British politics. The House of Commons had confidence in the Tory government, thanks to May’s deal with the Ulster Unionists.
