Former Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow is to deliver this year’s Channel 4 Alternative Christmas Message. In a tumultuous year in politics, Mr Bercow will deliver a pro-democracy and pro-Parliament message of tolerance and respect from a classroom at his children’s state secondary school.

Having stepped down in October from the bi-partisan role of Speaker and after ten years of chairing some of the fiercest and most fractious debates in recent political history, Mr Bercow continues to be a champion for the role of Parliament. “It is not an earth-shattering revelation to say I believe in it. I passionately support Parliamentary democracy. For all the criticism and abuse lobbed at MPs, I’m still a cheerleader for them.”

He candidly shares his view that “of late, democracy has come in for a pounding,” talking of how “it’s crucial for everyone to be free to say what they think and for politicians to respond” but stresses “democracy shouldn’t be about decibel levels.” Light-heartedly referencing the frequent need to raise his voice in his former role, He goes on to say, “an opinion is no more valid because it is expressed more loudly, repeatedly or abusively.”

Mr Bercow is a firm believer that we must better respectfully agree to disagree and feels strongly that “there are people… who cannot entertain the idea that anyone can honourably hold an opinion which differs from their own.” As a Remainer, Mr Bercow cites the example of his relationship with his best friend, a Brexiteer, who he says is “not an extremist, a racist or a fascist” and that, despite their differing views, the pair “respect each other as patriots, wanting the best for our country and the world.”

In The Alternative Christmas Message, which will be broadcast on Christmas Day at 2.25pm on Channel 4, Mr Bercow also shares his concerns over the role social media has come to play in our lives, particularly the impact on young people, commenting that while it can be “amazing” it can often “amplify hatred, racism, misogyny and abuse.”

Inspired by his role as chair of the United Kingdom Youth Parliament (2009-2019), the former Speaker credits them with being “an example of respectful debate” adding “they spoke well, respected one another and behaved better than many political campaigners, two, three and four times their age.”

With 2020 rapidly approaching, Mr Bercow acknowledges “there will be many challenges around the corner, known and unknown” but stresses the importance to “find a way of ensuring the message isn’t drowned out by the noise.”

Signing off with a hopeful, positive reflection on young people who he says are “the future” and a wish to “re-establish a civility of discourse,” he hopes everyone has a “happy, argument-free and fun-filled Christmas.” It remains to be seen whether his hope that “political difference, personal courtesy… in the Commons, in our workplaces and in our homes” do indeed become “our guiding lights in 2020.”

The Alternative Christmas Message was commissioned by Tamsin Dodgson, Commissioning Editor for Entertainment at Channel 4. It is a Rumpus Media production.

.#AltXmas

ENDS

Notes to Editors

First airing in 1993, the Channel 4 Christmas message - the alternative to the Queens annual televised message to the nation - has previously featured an illustrious and varied selection of presenters, including the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whistle-blower Edward Snowden, children who survived the Grenfell Tower Disaster, Afghan war veteran Major Andrew Stockton, William Pooley, the British nurse who survived Ebola, Adam Hills, Katie Piper, Quentin Crisp, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Doreen and Neville Lawrence, The Simpsons, and 9/11 survivor Genelle Guzman. Last year’s message was delivered by actor Danny Dyer.

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Lots of people think MPs have been behaving like children. I don’t agree. As the bloke who chaired the House of Commons for ten years, it is not an earth-shattering revelation to say I believe in it. I passionately support Parliamentary democracy. For all the criticism and abuse lobbed at MPs, I’m still a cheerleader for them.

The overwhelming majority work hard to protect and promote the interests of the people they are charged to represent. Churchill famously said that democracy was the worst form of government except for all the others. The great Parliamentarian Tony Benn put it another way…

“Whenever I meet anybody with power, I always ask that person 5 questions – what power have you got? Who gave it to you? In whose interests do you exercise it? To whom are you accountable? And how can we get rid of you?

I reckon Parliament does its job well: questioning the Government, scrutinising it and holding it to account for its policies on everything from Brexit to buses. Yet of late democracy has come in for a pounding. All around the world, populism - and the promise of simple solutions to complex problems - has taken hold with a vice-like grip. Don’t get me wrong, it’s crucial for everyone to be free to say what they think and for politicians to respond. But democracy shouldn’t be about decibel levels. An opinion is no more valid because it is expressed more loudly, repeatedly or abusively.

Before you say anything, yes, I’ve been known to raise my voice – but that was just to keep order! What bothers me is that there are people on the internet and in some newspapers, who cannot entertain the idea that anyone can honourably hold an opinion which differs from their own. They are the angels and anyone who dares disagree is a devil who wants the country to be poorer, less free or less secure. That mindsets started to infect Parliament too.

That is wrong. If democrats show no respect for each other, it just encourages anti-democrats. It’s high time we learnt to disagree agreeably. My best friend is a Brexiteer. He’s not an extremist, a racist or a fascist. I am a Remainer. That doesn’t make me a traitor, a malcontent or an enemy of the people. My friend and I disagree but we don’t fall out. He thinks I’m wrong. I know he is…. the point is we respect each other as patriots, wanting the best for our country and the world.

There will be many challenges around the corner, known and unknown – but we have to find a way of ensuring the message isn’t drowned out by the noise.

Social media can be amazing – but it can also amplify hatred, racism, misogyny and abuse. As I stand here at my kids’ fantastic state secondary, I have to say I worry about that.

Incidentally, if you want to see an example of respectful debate, take a look at the UK Youth Parliament whose sittings in the Commons I chaired every year for a decade. They spoke well, respected one another and behaved better than many political campaigners 2, 3 and 4 times their age.

Let’s take inspiration from young people. They are the future. Let’s try to re-establish a civility of discourse. It would be good for Parliament, for democracy and for good our own mental health – an issue which is finally getting the attention it needs. So, this Christmas, I urge that ‘political difference, personal courtesy’ should become our guiding lights in 2020 - in the Commons, in our workplaces and in our homes.

I wish everyone a happy, argument-free and fun-filled Christmas.

ENDS