Cabinet minister Sajid Javid rebukes John Bercow after his block on Donald Trump speaking to Parliament

'The Government is very clear....it’s manifestly in our national interest that we reach out to him, we work with him and that he visits us in the UK'

A Cabinet minister has hit out at Speaker John Bercow after he dramatically blocked Donald Trump from addressing Parliament, saying: “He doesn’t speak for the Government.”

Sajid Javid suggested the intervention – when Mr Bercow said the President’s “racism and sexism” were not welcome at Westminster – had put him in a collision course with Theresa May.

He said: “Anyone who knows the Speaker knows that he speaks his mind but he doesn’t speak for the Government.

“The Government is very clear. President Trump is the leader of our most important ally he is elected fairly and squarely

“And it’s manifestly in our national interest that we reach out to him, we work with him and that he visits us in the UK.”

The comments, to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, reflected alarm that the Prime Minister’s strident efforts to forge a close relationship with the Trump administration had been undermined.

And they came amid a wider backlash from Tory MPs against Mr Bercow, despite the applause in the chamber for his extraordinary attack on Mr Trump yesterday.

Iraqi-born Nadhim Zahawi, who sharply criticised Mr Trump's travel ban after learning he could be caught up in it, suggested the Speaker was a hypocrite and should consider resigning.

He pointed out that Mr Bercow had rolled out the red carpet for Chinese president Xi Jinping, despite his policy on Tibet, and for the emir of Kuwait, which bans British dual nationals of Israeli origin.

Mr Zahawi said: “I think it is, in my book, unwise and he opens himself up to the accusation of hypocrisy, that's my point.

“It's unwise to ban the legitimately elected president of the United States of America, our closest ally when we're trying to urge them not to shoot from the hip, not to ban people, to exercise restraint, look at evidence.

"Yet we are now, or at least the Speaker of Parliament, who has a big, big responsibility, is now sort of talking the language of bans.”

Another Conservative MP Crispin Blunt, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, said the intervention was “to be regretted”.

He added: “He has no idea whether he will be speaking for a majority of the House of Commons, and this is why Speakers do not express their opinion.

“That's the entire point, otherwise they can't remain neutral and above the political fray.”

There was also criticism in the US, where Republican congressman Joe Lewis described it as a “slap” to his party.

“If ever in recent years there's been a more pro-British president of the United States, it's Donald Trump,” Mr Lewis told Newsnight.

So far, Downing Street has given a guarded response to Mr Bercow’s block on Mr Trump, saying: “We look forward to welcoming the president to the UK later this year.

“The dates and arrangements for the state visit will be worked out in due course.”

Mr Bercow said he was one of three “key-holders” for invitations to speak in Westminster Hall, following in the footsteps of the likes of Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama.

A second, the Lords Speaker Lord Fowler, also distanced himself from his counterpart in the Commons and will make his own statement today.