Bercow Claims Migrants Make Better Workers

The Commons Speaker sparks controversy by weighing into the debate about immigration during an official trip to Romania.

UK, Wednesday 05 June 2013

John Bercow said immigration had given the UK 'great advantages'

The Commons Speaker has sparked controversy by suggesting eastern European immigrants make better workers than British people.

John Bercow claimed migrants have more "aptitude and commitment" and said the arrival of thousands of workers from Eastern Europe had given the UK "great advantages".
His comments, which also included accusing critics of recent immigration trends of using a "bellicose and strident tone", raised questions about his political neutrality.
Immigration is already a key issue for voters and concerns are rising due to fears of an influx from Romania and Bulgaria when movement restrictions are relaxed at the end of the year.
But Mr Bercow, who was a Tory MP before his appointment as Speaker in 2009, is expected to stay out of political debates because of his Parliamentary role.

The politician made the comments during an official visit to the Romanian parliament last week when he was asked about the UK debate over the lifting of the restrictions.
He said: "I believe things should be controlled and monitored when it comes to migration - any state that wants to protect its own people should do this - but there are also great advantages.
"I want to underline the fact that there has been an important wave of immigrants that came to Great Britain from new member states and in many cases they came with aptitudes and a commitment, an involvement we haven't always seen in our labour force."

Thousands of Romanians are expected to come to Britain

At a news conference he reportedly also attacked the British press for raising concerns and added: "I am here as a friend of Romania and someone who sees the benefits of immigration."


Nigel Farage, the leader of the UK Independence Party, told The Daily Telegraph that Mr Bercow was "a disgrace to the office of Speaker".
"It is outrageous that Mr Bercow is happy to overthrow the wisdom of ages and think it acceptable to comment on matters that are both highly political and deeply contentious," he said.
"There are very good practical and constitutional reasons why the Speaker is neutral, reasons that he obviously believes are beneath his own august self image."
Hundreds of thousands of Eastern Europeans have already flocked to Britain under the EU's freedom of movement rules.
Temporary curbs were established for Romania and Bulgaria in 2005 to protect the British labour market but they expire in December and cannot be renewed.
Researchers have forecast up to 250,000 people from the two countries could come to the UK in the first five years after the rules change.
Existing tensions about general immigration have also been fuelled in recent days after the European Union decided to take Britain to court over the benefits given to migrants.
Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith has insisted existing rules cannot be watered down and vowed to fight the legal action "every step of the way".
A spokesman for Mr Bercow said he had been trying to be "helpful" to his Romanian hosts by rehearsing both sides of the debate.
"He understands more than anybody the importance of impartiality in this role," the spokesman said.
"It is not something that he would go to the Romanian parliament to give a lecture on. It is just one of a series of questions he was asked.
"He was in front of the Romanian parliament answering questions about all sorts of things and just wanted to be helpful to his hosts."