Friends say he could exercise right to remain in Commons chair in face of threat to withhold peerage over alleged Brexit ‘bias’

The Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, is considering abandoning his plans to step down this summer after cabinet ministers threatened to deny him a peerage because of his alleged “bias” against the government over Brexit.

Friends of the Speaker who have been in touch with him in the last 48 hours told the Observer that Bercow is now “seriously reflecting” on whether to stay on – possibly until 2022.

Government sources briefed last week that someone who had “cheated centuries of procedure” should not expect to be elevated to the House of Lords.

One source who knows Bercow’s thinking said that if the Conservative government was seeking to “punish” the Speaker for how he conducted parliamentary business – and themselves defy centuries of convention under which Speakers are granted peerages on retirement – he could well exercise his right to remain in the Commons chair until the end of this parliament, rather than leave soon after Brexit.

Allies of Bercow said he fundamentally disapproved of attempts to bully him into toeing the government line.

The extraordinary row between the Speaker and the government is further poisoning the atmosphere in parliament as it grapples with the Brexit crisis, following the crushing defeat last week of Theresa May’s Brexit deal.

Bercow is seen by many Tories as too sympathetic to Labour and those seeking to soften or thwart Brexit.

As senior Tory and Labour MPs step up efforts over the coming days to seize control over the Brexit process from the government, Bercow’s role will be pivotal. A senior MP at the centre of moves to ensure parliament takes control of Brexit said: “The Speaker will play a critical role in the coming days, selecting amendments and determining parliamentary business. If ministers thought it was a good idea to put his back up they may regret it.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A group of MPs led by Labour’s Yvette Cooper intends to hand parliament the power to delay Brexit this week. Photograph: Neil Hall/EPA

Peerages for retiring Speakers are normally approved by No 10 as a matter of course. But a Downing Street source said on Friday that it was the prime minister’s view that “there is no such thing as an automatic peerage”, even for a retiring Speaker.

Bercow, who infuriated May and the Tories earlier this month by departing from convention to allow MPs to take control of Commons business through permitting a controversial amendment, will be thrown back into the centre of the Brexit debate this week when a cross-party group of MPs led by Labour MP Yvette Cooper and Tory Nick Boles intend to hand parliament the power to delay Brexit – a move vehemently opposed by the government and leading Brexiters. Under the latest cross-party strategy, MPs would be able to delay Britain’s EU exit day if no Brexit deal were in place by the end of February.

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As Speaker, Bercow holds the key to the plan, as only he can rule that the strategy should be debated and voted on by MPs. Another explosive proposal being discussed by MPs would allow them to pass Brexit motions without first winning majority support. Rebels have drawn up an amendment that would allow a motion backed by a minority of 300 MPs to take precedence over government business. This would allow backbench MPs to propose plans blocking a no-deal Brexit.

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After the crushing defeat of her plan last Tuesday, and an unsuccessful Labour attempt to oust the government in a no-confidence motion, the prime minister said she was willing to talk to opposition MPs, including party leaders, in an attempt to find a way forward. Tomorrow May will make statements to parliament on the way forward on Brexit and table a fresh motion which MPs can amend. The next key votes will take place on 29 January.

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Labour deputy leader Tom Watson said yesterday the party had a duty to talk to Theresa May if she was prepared to enter into an “intelligent conversation” on Brexit.

Speaking at the Fabian Society’s new year conference in London, he said: “We are obligated, I think, through our sense of patriotism and respect for democracy to have an intelligent conversation on Brexit with Theresa May if she is offering it. But there is no bargain-basement Brexit on our agenda.”