Bercow ‘spent £13,000’ on trip to Canada

John Bercow has splurged £13,000 on a trip to Canada as well as £70 on photos to send to ‘fans’.The Commons speaker also spent £113 a month on a Sky subscription for his grace-and-favour residence. And he spent thousands of pounds on ‘entertainment’ last year and on other jaunts to Switzerland and Latvia.More details of Bercow’s use of public money have emerged after a breakdown of his official spending was released to MailOnline under freedom of information rules.There were significant costs for Bercow’s opulent apartment at parliament, where he lives rent-free with wife Sally and their children.The Arsenal fan’s Sky subscription – which includes the sports package – was around £113 a month. He also ordered £41 worth of on-demand films for his family during the last summer holidays, although he later reimbursed the spending. Tuning the piano at Speaker’s House cost £87.50.In August, the speaker’s office spent £70 on 100 “colour presentation portrait prints”. A spokesman said these were photographs of Bercow that are signed and sent out to admirers on request.His use of expenses has helped make him one of the most controversial speakers in history. He drew fresh fury from Brexiteers last week by declaring during a taxpayer-funded trip to the US that he will stay in the post until the process of leaving the EU is complete. He previously promised he would step down in 2018.Bercow has also been accused of tearing up centuries of Commons procedure to help Remainer MPs who have been trying to thwart the government’s plans, although he insisted he is merely “championing” parliament.His official spending as speaker is not subject to the same rules as MPs, who are banned by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority from claiming meals and drinks on expenses.The latest disclosure from the Commons authorities covers the year to this January.Business class flights for Bercow and his secretary to Canada for a three-day conference of Speakers from G7 countries last July came to £12,352. They stayed at the four-star Lords Nelson hotel, with a £660 bill.Flights to Switzerland to visit the speaker there in September were £389, while a trip to Latvia for the same purpose in March was £430 plus £520 for a hotel and £335 on gifts for his counterpart. Hosting lectures by MPs at Speaker’s House was also pricey. Entertainment for speeches by Nick Clegg in June last year and Harriet Harman in November both came in at £809, while another by Jacob Rees-Mogg in July was £1,008.There was also a £234 bill for drinks at a reception and dinner for the panel of chairs at Christmas. The panel is a group of MPs appointed by Bercow to help him chair sessions in the Commons.