Bercow is a real Jekyll and Hyde character. Which is not a pleasant person to be around, so what follows is in no way an apologia for his vile behaviour.
Bercow was appointed by the Labour Government under Tony Blair to produce a report and recommendations into services for Children with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN). It was more thorough, influential and had more of a positive impact than anyone reasonably expected at the time. This was in large part due to Bercow not walking away when he had published his Review but continuing to campaign for his recommendations to be actioned.
Bercow: 10 Years On
"Chairing the Review of Services for Children and Young People (0–19) with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) 10 years ago was the most stimulating project of my parliamentary career up to that point."
John Bercow, 2018
Bercow: Ten Years On is a report on the state of provision for children’s speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) in England. The report has been published by I CAN , the children’s communication charity, and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).
www.bercow10yearson.com/
The irony of the final words in the final paragraph of his foreword to the "10 Years On" report!
"It is my hope that this report will act as a call to action to all those involved in supporting children and young people, to come together and do what is needed to make a difference to the lives of those for whom communication is more difficult."
I say he is a "Jekyll and Hyde character" because I knew several women who were involved in the SLCN Review and none had a bad word to day about him, in fact he was supposedly a delight to work with. I met him once and he was professional, well-informed and courteous. I also wrote to him for assistance on a local matter to do with children's services. He could have fielded this back to my MP, who had been useless, but instead he tried to help as best he could.
It is troubling that his legacy, in the form of the Bercow SLCN Review, will be forever tainted by association with the name of someone who turned out to be such a horrible little monster. It makes it all too convenient for campaigns based on the Bercow Report to be disregarded.
If ever there was a case for "Cancellation" in a good cause, it might be better if his name and endorsement featured rather less prominently in campaigns to improve services to children and young people with Speech, Language and Communication Needs in future.