John Bercow's handling of Brexit debate praised by China's WTO ambassador: 'I like his style'

Zhang Xiangchen says Speaker's voice is something he looks forward to hearing

John Bercow, the Commons speaker, has riled members from both sides of the aisle thanks to his handling of the Brexit process in Parliament in recent months – but he can count on some unlikely admirers overseas.

China’s ambassador to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Zhang Xiangchen, has been keeping track of the Brexit debates and told a meeting in Geneva that the organisation could learn a thing or two from Mr Bercow.

“I very much like the style and the voice of John Bercow, who is the speaker of the House of Commons,” Mr Zhang said.

The subject of Mr Bercow’s voice has become a regular subject of discussion around Westminster. The speaker has had a number of run-ins with MPs, including when then-health minister Simon Burns called the 5ft 6in Mr Bercow a “stupid, sanctimonious dwarf” after being admonished in the Commons in 2010.

In 2017, Mr Bercow sparked debate after speaking out against Donald Trump addressing Parliament saying that given Mr Trump’s rhetoric, “racism and sexism” were “important considerations”. Mr Trump has repeatedly denied being racist or sexist.

A number of Conservatives believe that Mr Bercow strayed from his politically neutral brief in giving those remarks, and a number in Parliament believe he has done so again in his treatment of Brexit.

Mr Bercow said that Parliamentary rules dating back to the 17th century stopped Theresa May’s government from bringing the same Brexit motion to repeated votes without substantial changes – a ruling that caused consternation on the Conservative benches.

However, Mr Zhang called it an “important decision” and said it was something the WTO should ape.

“I think perhaps we should consider having similar rules to ensure the quality of our discussions,” Mr Zhang said.

The WTO has been squabbling for years about changes to his rules, with nations like China saying more needs to be done to help developing nations.

In Washington, the Trump administration has pushed for changes saying that the current protocols are “unfair” on the US.