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John Bercow

Unspeakable: The Autobiography Paperback – July 6, 2021

by John Bercow (Author)

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When John Bercow retired as Speaker of the House of Commons on 31 October 2019, he had become one of the most recognisable and iconoclastic figures in British politics, occupying a ringside seat during one of the most febrile periods in modern British history. In his no-holds-barred memoir, he offers verdicts on the leading figures of his era - from Tony Blair to David Cameron, Theresa May to Boris Johnson, and charts his extraordinary political journey. UNSPEAKABLE is essential reading for anyone interested in politics and how our democracy is - or should be - run.

Print length

448 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Publication date

July 6, 2021
Dimensions

5.25 x 1.25 x 7.88 inches
ISBN-10

147461664X
ISBN-13

978-1474616645
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Editorial Reviews

Review

[Bercow] has used this memoir to settle many old scores, but he [is] charming, attractively self-depracating and he addresses the head-on charges against him―Chris Mullin, Prospect

About the Author

Born in 1963, John Bercow was elected as Member of Parliament for Buckingham in 1997. He was elected as the Speaker of the House of Commons in June 2009 and retired on 31st October 2019. He is married with three children. He lives in London SW11.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Weidenfeld & Nicolson (July 6, 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 448 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 147461664X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1474616645
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.7 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 1.25 x 7.88 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,091,161 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #185 in Political Literature Criticism
- #9,528 in Political Leader Biographies
- #57,992 in Memoirs (Books)

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Martyn Swain

David and Goliath Round Two Hundred and thirty three or thereabouts

Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2020

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What an invigorating account of the years in parliament since the catastrophe of the 2016 referendum and the muscular defence of British parliamentary democracy by one principled man against hordes of opportunists.

4 people found this helpful

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Arthur K

Ineloquent Speaker.

Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2021

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Useful primer on the role of the Speaker in the House of Commons.
I was disappointed. I expected a bit more history and balance.
The Speaker's explanation of accepting the Chinese leader to address the House of Commons and rejecting Trump is laughable and contradictory.

One person found this helpful

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Expat

Dreadful - just like the author

Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2020

Awful self promoting twaddle.
He failed to remain, but his book will be remaindered!

3 people found this helpful

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Doobie Do

As bad as its author

Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2020

Don't waste your money. His greatest fan is himself.

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Top reviews from other countries

DAVID BRYSON

A LOW ENJOYMENT

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 3, 2020

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What earns this book five stars from me is the low enjoyment that it provides. I owe that phrase to Housman, who observed that only the first volume of his Manilius had sold out, and that that was because ‘it found purchasers among the unlearned who had heard that it contained a scurrilous preface from which they hoped to extract a low enjoyment.’ Some will be familiar with Housman’s prefaces and the tone of his scholarly onslaughts like this from Juvenal (I quote from memory but I’ll be close enough) ‘a capacity for these two lines of fiction has been bestowed by providence, like a kind of consolation prize, on those who have no capacity for anything else.’

I like the pugilistic sense of Bercow’s rubbishing of numerous political figures, and I like it better than the icy rancour of, say, Muggeridge, brilliant stylist though he was. Sir George Young, for instance, is awarded a casual sideswipe for his lofty categorisation of some very ordinary opinions (his own of course) as ‘philosophical.’ Andrew Lansley suffers a lengthy diatribe for dullness, David Cameron receives the kind of depiction that only someone with a chip on both shoulders would have the patience to think up, and the characterisation of Andrea Leadsom is one of unalloyed dislike. There are degrees of such dislike of course, even occasionally influencing Bercow to pull his punches, as when he describes Michael Howard as being cold and oily in equal parts. Myself, I would call that portrait of the unpleasing Howard remarkably restrained when I consider what our author can do and does elsewhere. Interestingly, the very short references to Gordon Brown and even to Jeremy Corbyn, are sympathetic, even to the point, in the former case, of being downright affectionate.

Bercow had started his political life as a very right wing Consevative, and it was simply life and experience that made out of him the sort of liberal he has become. He was approached by Labour, but honestly and honourably he just did not believe that Britain is that sort of country, so he kept his distance and now belongs to no party. I would have liked more discussion from him of the current and recent makeup of the Labour party. His vantage point was and is, obviously, the Speaker’s Chair in the Commons, but surely he must have had some thoughts about the distance between the parliamentary party and the membership at large. The parliamentary contingent are not totally homogeneous of course, but the mixture is the mixture I have known all my life as a tribal Labour voter. What we now have ‘out there’ is a miscellaneous influx of people with £3 to spare and a taste for student politics who saw Labour as a kind of playground out of the rain. The result of this has not been some Invasion of the Lefties, as had been predicted, but mass defection to Conservative colours, just waiting for an election to put numbers on this shift. Bercow has enough to say about the Conservative governments he had to deal with, so perhaps he has overlooked what is coming down the road in the direction of Parliament, perhaps recognisable as some new Conservative movement.

The main thrust of John Bercow’s Speakership has been, he says, his desire to redress the balance in the Commons between government and backbenches, otherwise to be viewed in terms of executive vs legislature. I see no reason to doubt this claim, and despite his own tendency to bragadoccio I can accept that he has made a difference along those lines, although of course we are waiting to see whether it lasts or not. After all, this is now another Conservative administration, but in a new and different Conservative context.

All this is bookended between some early life history, of a fairly standard kind I suppose and moderately interesting if no more, and his deeper musings on the likely social future as it affects his (and I hope also our) beloved House of Commons. This latter section of the book merits real and deep consideration, or so it seems to me: to be slightly frivolous about it, it must be a godsend to students seeking PhD subjects, not to mention examiners lifting out chunks and adding the stern injunction ‘Discuss’. Bercow’s writing style is occasionally bombastic and even he can see that, but what it has about it is the freshness and even occasional roughness that kept me interested all the way through. I guess I just happen to like his style generally, whether as a writer and as Speaker. Say what you will, dull he isn’t. Looking at other reviews, I see to my total unsurprise that the heavyweights on the one hand (Andrew Rawnsley, Douglas Murray et al) have been just a little patronising towards him, and on the other hand the indignant crybabies have come out in strength. Give or take such early-doors reactions I genuinely sense that this book is set to be a kind of classic. Mr Speaker emeritus is a tennis enthusiast, I’m not sure I can remember a word about rugby even if his taste is for verbal scrums, but then again maybe soccer is the right sporting field to accommodate him. He ends by proclaiming himself an Arsenal follower. Well come to that, so am I.

6 people found this helpful

Neutral

Bercow the Berk Beaten by Brexit

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 23, 2020

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When Charles 1 tried to curtail the liberties of Parliament in 1642 by arresting five members, the Speaker of the House, William Lenthall stated, ‘I have neither eyes to see nor tongue to speak in this place but as this House is pleased to direct me’. In doing so Lenthall served the House. John Bercow did the opposite acting as if the House was his servant. Assuming free speech is still permitted, Bercow can be regarded as the worst Speaker in the history of Parliament as shown by this self-serving, partisan and myopic autobiography. Openly pro-Remain he set out to overturn the Referendum result, using the Chair to browbeat Brexiteers and promote Remainers. He believes in his own invincibility and neutrality despite the blatant anti-Conservative, anti-Brexit, anti-democratic prejudice, that destroys any credibility he thinks he may have. He set out to destroy Brexit and cannot accept Brexit destroyed him.

While denying the ‘small man big ego’ psychology it is apparent that Bercow does not accept his own insecurities. He sees them in other people but not himself. In criticising Geoffrey Cox he opines, ‘people are angrier and more resentful when they lose’ which describes his diatribe against the decisions of the electorate in favour of Brexit and Boris. In the wake of the media loving judiciary’s decision to prevent the prorogation of Parliament, Bercow called a cross-party gathering all of whom were or had been pro-Remain. Bercow’s references to Conservative MP’s are in favour of pro-European ideologues. Yet references to Labour’s positions are praised. He criticised Michael Howard for changing his mind on the Iraq War claiming the electorate ‘respected someone who was against the war. But they did not respect someone who was for and then against’. Yet he failed to reference John Prescott’s admission that the war was illegal and he should never have gone along with it.

Bercow’s own views have never been stable. Starting out as a right-winger with the Monday club, ardently supporting Margaret Thatcher, Bercow shifted with the political winds. Very ambitious he successfully networked his way into the eighth safest Conservative seat in the country. He presents himself as deciding to retire whereas the reality was that Conservatives in Buckingham had long since tired of him and his publicity seeking wife which he attempts to write off as media mischief making. Bercow attended Essex University to study politics emerging with a degree but lacking political insight. Embarrassed by Enoch Powell’s shrewd analysis of the impact of immigration he claimed a change of opinion to a multi-racial society. He doesn't appear to have been aware that Trevor Phillips has announced its failure and been expelled from the Labour Party as a consequence.

Bercow’s partisanship was evident throughout his speakership. Within weeks of succeeding the hapless Michael Martin and in the wake of the expenses scandal Bercow spent £20k refurbishing his rent-free home, despite previously paying back dubious expenses himself as an MP. His ‘How to Be a Good MP’ shows the gap between Parliamentarians and the electorate as to what MPs should do. Paul Flynn did better. Conservative Remainers such as Dominic Grieve, Oliver Letwin and Sarah Wollaston and praised , with the closed-minded Ken Clarke as ‘outstanding’, although Clarke, in his own autobiography, admits he should have stood down in 2017’. David Lammy and Emma Dent Coad are lauded despite their parlous relationship with the truth, Lammy claiming Johnson and Rees-Mogg were Nazis while Dent Coad was forced to apologise on several occasions for racist comments. Bercow suggests democracy has been well served by an increase in female members although he produces no evidence to support his case which is denied by the antics of the truth distancing Rebecca Wrong Daily. Claiming Michael Gove is intelligent and competent is contradicted by Gove’s car crash interview trying to defend Dominic Cummings testing his eyes at Barnard Castle. Bercow criticises Liz Truss because she refused to defend the media loving, pro-Remain judges against the rhetorical claim they were bigots. #

Bercow appears not to understand that, as Lord Harcourt said, ‘the politician exists to tell the civil service what the public won’t stand’. In brief, the civil service is the government. Its traditional role of critically examining the manifesto of the people’s elected representatives and providing arguments both for and against has been undermined by politicisation to the extent that two former Heads now advise the Labour Party. Unable to bring himself to refer to the Prime Minister as Boris, Bercow calls him Johnson and takes every opportunity to disrespect him. He does not mention that David Cameron ordered the civil service not to anticipate the possibility that he would lose the Referendum which meant, as EU leaders acknowledged, the UK had nothing prepared when negotiations began. Theresa May, a Remain supporter, was unfit to be a pro-Brexit Prime Minister, surrendering everything she could and calling a disastrous election in 2017 which created political paralysis. Bercow’s claim that a cross party approach to Brexit was possible is attributable to his pro EU bigotry.

Politically Cameron was an arrogant coward running away from defeat rather than admit his inadequacy as a leader. Despite Bercow’s opinion it was a dishonourable act. Bercow did not have the foggiest idea on how the government was going to deliver Brexit whereas it was obvious Cameron had done to May what Thatcher did to Howe. Claiming he wanted to retire Bercow glosses over the fact that his local constituency party rejected him. He spends pages lapping up the hypocritical praise provided by MPs when he stood down forgetting that people are asked not to speak ill of the dead, even the politically dead. Bercow refers to ‘Honest disagreement’ but showed none of it himself, belittling those with whom he disagreed for dissenting from his opinion. For the neutral this trashy book has all the attraction of an unflushed toilet bowl and many of the same qualities. A bare two stars. Don’t buy.

6 people found this helpful

Cameron Fraser

Good read.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 29, 2023

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Bercow is smashing entertainment value both in print and when watching him in HofC.
He always likes to be in the limelight as his performance as speaker will testify.
The book shows what a reforming speaker he grew into. I didn't like his politics when he became an MP but the book and his record shows how serious about the institution of parliamentary democracy he became.
I think he had a Damascus moment during his time in politics and became a far better human being for it.This of course made him a hate figure by some of those from his former party but we all know some "friends" who should be dropped and Bercow is better off with out those people sucking the life out of him.

Chris White

Well-written, fair and engrossing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 30, 2020

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John Bercow’s extensive memoir provides an exhaustive account of his life in politics, from his early days as an arch-Thatcherite through his gradual conversion to a slightly-left-of-centre liberal, then appointment and decade-long tenure as Speaker of the House of Commons.

Beginning in medias res, the opening chapter (punningly entitled "Prorogue") catapults the reader into the eye of the Brexit storm, specifically to September 2019 and the aftermath of the government’s ill-judged (and as it turned out, illegal) attempt to shut down Parliament for five weeks. Never in all his time as Speaker, Bercow asserts, has he found the atmosphere in the House of Commons to be so toxic. This prelude serves as a taster to the book’s eleventh chapter, which deals with the minutiae of the UK’s troubled departure from the European Union and Bercow’s careful reasoning for charting the course that he did.

However, before this point in the narrative, Bercow takes the reader on an interesting and well-structured journey. The intervening chapters are logically laid out, dealing with his youth and entry into politics, his time as a back-bencher, elevation to the Chair, the day-to-day life of Mr Speaker, attempts to reform and modernise the House of Commons, his role as a parliamentary ambassador, friends and foes, party leaders, a rumination on what makes a good MP, and, following on from "The Brexit Imbroglio", some thoughts on the UK’s future direction.

By turns erudite and voluble, Bercow makes fair assessments of his colleagues, analysing both strengths and weaknesses, and being unafraid to give praise where it’s due (even to those with whom he didn’t see eye to eye). That said, where a damning critique is called for, no mot juste is left unemployed. Particular invective is aimed at certain individuals whom (he alleges) at one time or another schemed to have him removed from his post and failed. He reserves especial ire for “24-carat snob” David Cameron, summing up his premiership in biting terms:
“In the pantheon of great leaders, the name of David Cameron will never feature. In a list of opportunist lightweights, it will be at the top.”

While Unspeakable is certainly a long book, I found it engrossing: throwing a spotlight on aspects of political life that usually go unreported. I bought the Audible version as well, narrated by Bercow himself, who, it turns out, has an unxexpected talent for mimicry. For students of politics or anyone with a passing interest, given the UK’s turmoil of the last few years, this memoir provides a valuable and very well-written historical record. I highly recommend it.

One person found this helpful

Alexis Jackson

Interesting and amusing for Bercow fans and politics nerds alike.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 19, 2020

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Although a fan of Mr Bercow’s verbal flourishes on TV, I worried I’d constantly need to get out my thesaurus for this book. However, it wasn’t too bad and is easy to read and well-structured.

Contrary to some reviews in the media, Mr Bercow is not self-aggrandising at all and comes across as down-to-earth and incredibly honest about his motives. Yes, he is proud of some of his modernising achievements, charitable causes he’s been involved with and the diversity and social mobility programs he introduced into his workplace, but why shouldn’t he be?! However, he is willing to fully critique his personality and isn’t afraid to lay out all his mistakes both in the past and more recently. He’s not afraid to say when he messed up, or that he now disagrees with some policies he voted on and advocated for in the past.

What stood out to me is that he’s faced a lot of hostility and classism from the establishment, including disparaging comments about his social class and heritage (he is half-Romanian Jewish); stemming from, according to Bercow, his refusal to conform to the upper-class way. He reveals a behind-the-scenes classist plot from the Speaker’s office to remove comprehensive educated staff and speaks of an attempt by secretaries to grasp some power for themselves, whilst refusing to co-operate. (Mr Bercow was not the first Speaker they had tried it with). These clashes lead to the most controversial part of the book: the bullying allegations from Mr Bercow’s perspective. Until now, he has had no chance to defend himself against the Newsnight investigations regarding his alleged conduct, which left him surprised and traumatised. Seeing as his accusers’ names have been published in the press and on Newsnight (one even appeared on camera), it is only fair that he is allowed to name them.

When the time comes for the events of Brexit to be written in history books, this will make a useful reference book as he describes events clearly and with humour, expressing his incredulity at Theresa May’s incompetent and arrogant government from the perspective of the Chair. My personal favourite was his prologue “Prorogue” detailing of the dramatic return to parliament following the rogue prorogation.

One chapter is definitely for parliamentary nerds and political science students only, as he details procedures and how the House of Commons functions. I learned more from Mr Bercow than I ever did from my Politics tutor in any case, so I’d recommend this to students. The final chapter covers his predictions and hopes for Parliament’s future. It’s a disgrace that he’s not being elevated to the House of Lords as he wants to continue to use his influence and platform for good. He seems earnest enough for this to be a sincere ambition. When the irrational hatred towards him has died down, I believe John Bercow will be found to have been on the right side of history, when it comes to his handling of Brexit.

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