John Bercow | Full Address and Q&A | Oxford Union

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First elected as a Conservative MP in 1997, John Bercow held the positions of Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary and Shadow Secretary of State for International Development before taking up his current position in 2009. During his election, he received an unprecedented amount of support from a cross section of parties, and his political leaning is often considered centre or centre-right. The Bercow Review of families affected by speech, language, and communication needs, prompted the Labour government at the time to pledge £52 million into addressing such issues. He is famed for keeping order in the Commons with his signature cry of "order!". In 2010 he won the Stonewall award for Politician of the Year.
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[@CC-lt2qt]

This dude literally spits out pages of a thesaurus every three seconds

[@ASLUHLUHCE]

Hahahaha

[@hmich176]

Only Bob Costas has him beat.

[@roen6800]

That's because he likely memorized the first 3 minutes of his speech. You'll notice a contrast between the first three minutes and the more ad-libbed parts subsequent to that opening section.

[@fluxstandard8364]

I understood every word

[@PiroozKashefiAttwood]

@@fluxstandard8364 and? I think everyone did...

[@JK-mz4mo]

imagine donald trump trying to have a conversation with john bercow

[@christopherzp]

imagine John Bercow trying to have a conversation with Donald Trump

[@Jackieception]

I would pay to put them in the same room for half an hour

[@tasselchen]

haha

[@stevegibson2255]

Donald Trump taps his advisors on the shoulder ( what's ignominious mean ? ) :)

[@thatbaratheongirl7726]

Bercow wouldn't entertain Trump, on the basis that he despises him. If Bercow did, he'd run rings around Trump.

[@thatfellow4497]

ORDAH

[@conrar1320]

@Brad Smith or or or orrrdurrr

[@sterlihalla]

No its orda!

[@conrar1320]

@@sterlihalla I'm ORR ORRR ORRR-fully sorry for that mistake

[@Killerbee4712]

what river is Poland's second-longest river in total length and third-longest within its borders after the Vistula and Warta?

[@adnan-khan]

I'm not gay but this man's articulation of vocabulary and annunciation tickles my fancy.

[@finngannon]

I am gay and I concur

[@andyjiang1646]

Omg I’m gay and I’m obsessed with him

[@finngannon]

@@andyjiang1646 let's set a date and discuss.

[@finngannon]

😂

[@matthewhill3556]

I might be after watching this.

[@andishawjfac]

What a fantastic lexicon and vocabulary this man displays. Truly the spirit of British traditions of debate and conversation.

[@RobertDunn310]

I learned three new words just by listening to him speak lol.

[@tacosmexicanstyle7846]

andi shaw It's his sentence structure as well and his filler words. the phrases and vocab he uses don't work in any accent other than RP because the way he speaks is just too posh lol I wouldn't be able to take this speech seriously if he had a different accent

[@bobflendorg1064]

@@ARMeNshokeR You are correct, and a Romanian Jew at that. His Jew family changed their surname from Berkowitz.

[@gopr3117]

rank egotism is the truly spirit of British debate and conversation...?

[@bobflendorg1064]

@@fynesider What has your ancestry to do with the way you speak?

[@lairddougal3833]

In a world dominated by incoherent rambling, word salads and seemingly endless fillers (‘you know’, ‘um’, ‘like’), what pleasure to listen to a person capable of speaking to the point and without a single pause or hesitation. An object lesson from Mr Bercow. Thank you, sir and thank you to the OU.

[@interekweb]

Bercow's sentences are almost longer than the ones we use in German haha

[@ASLUHLUHCE]

Each sentence sounds as if it were intricately crafted and contains words that I'd perhaps only use once in a lifetime.

[@benartee9493]

And for the avoidance of doubt, us Germans with at least a reasonable command of the English language, very much enjoy listening to him.

[@Fox420]

yeah im 8 minutes in, and im not sure if the sentence has ended yet. the difference between his commas and periods is almost indistinguishable :D

[@stastez]

I for one would understand myself as quite literate in the English language, however, I do not understand a sentence that man is saying.

[@Fox420]

@@fynesider then it will annoy you to know i have never heard of Victor Borge, and do not desire to do so :D

[@Joshnpk]

Bercow is a straight up G.

[@callehammar2743]

HEAR!

[@queenredspecial]

God? Gentleman? Gladiator? What does that mean, for those of us from other countries?

[@ASLUHLUHCE]

Whe he started acting out an even more aristocratic accent 😂

[@jonnyboymellor]

You'd know

[@therub2191]

his mates call him J-bizzle

[@Gravengaard]

1 hour and 5 minutes of speaking and not ONCE does he say "uh"... Not that I have heard in the House either, but that IS impressive! He's going to be missed in the chair.

[@JamesRansom]

These videos are a public service and are fantastically appreciated.

[@Jasir1]

his 3 'very brief' points lasted literally almost half of the entirety of the video LMAO. But it is so satisfying to watch someone so eloquent with his words. he could have spoken about anything and it would have been a joy to watch him talk about it. Very light hearted man too.

[@zyaicob]

I think that's the point

[@richardchin9457]

Hear hear!

[@tuxitalk1World]

Jasir A Hamed I could listen to him reading a London phone book and that would be fine!❤️

[@llc1976]

Amen

[@rebostorm19]

Ooooooooorderrrrrrrrr

[@Mortimer_Duke]

rebostorm19 No, no, no. It’s Aaaaawwwwduuuuuh! :)

[@TuskTheRipper96]

I enjoyed this more than I had expected I would. He's a brilliant orator with a heavy charisma and it's infectious. Good for him! I won't speak as to his policies nor the policies of the United Kingdom or it's parliament. As an American from the other side of the pond I can only say that he seems, in this moment, a tall glass of water!

[@specialflake4166]

TuskTheRipper96 he's a tall pint of warm ale.

[@Coldnewton]

He was also the biggest 'thief' during the expenses scandal a few years ago. He cheated the British taxpayer more than any other politician.

[@specialflake4166]

stevebenbob I've seen a lot of stories about his expenses as speaker but I don't remember him being in the spotlight too much during the heat of the big scandal in 08/09. I actually saw a claim that he'd been among the lowest claimants during those years. I can't see how his campaign to become the next speaker would have been met with success otherwise, given that Michael Martin was a principle scapegoat in the fallout from the revelations.

[@joshuahong2013]

Hear hear

[@umaryounis4229]

TuskTheRipper96 well you'll be happy to know that he doesn't belong to any of the political parties rather his neutral speaker that controls the exchanges between members of parliament.

[@MONKeEeYboi]

John Bercow. Never uses one word when 3 will do 😂 love this man 👍👊

[@NoGodsNoMasters1885]

A masterclass in public speaking.

[@juliaconnell]

the more I hear John Bercow the more I respect him not only in his role as Speaker, for his eloquence, thoughtfulness and sense of humour - but in terms of implementing positive change

[@antoniodorado4878]

Quite intelligent, cultured, articulate and funny gentleman.

[@samdavies1497]

fuck me I better get my dictionary out

[@cuckoospider111]

Fuck you anyway

[@russellharrison8982]

cuckoo Spider BBC video yof has a great quote for a ywoman

[@mokilibuzzmansurmalcolm1867]

fuck u anyway

[@rt.honourablegentleman4689]

Oxford Union - One of the great British institutions - Thank you for making this magnificent occasion publicly accessible. Your work does not go unnoticed and is greatly appreciated. In company with Jacob Rees-Mogg, John Bercow is one of THE most eloquent speakers I've ever heard, and it's a privilege to be able to enjoy this.

[@yellyman5483]

This man is a very good Speaker.

[@thelaurels13]

Yellyman Also a very corrupt one.

[@GlennPaulWills]

I love listening to Bercow. He utterly commands his gravitas and pulls you in with his pace and hard pauses. Also, he's just simply adorable and his power of voice work exponentially to enhance his presence in a space, and to an audience. Just love his skill and accent. Simply a delight to hear.

[@martinidry6300]

HE'S A CHRONIC MASS DEBATER & SO ARE YOU.

[@trenauldo]

Honestly, by virtue of the gentleman's accent, demeanor, and voluminous vocabulary, he truly makes the English language a pleasure and a delight to listen to. A skilled orator is a treasure to enjoy, and I'm grateful to Oxford Union and the good people of the UK for sharing him with us. All the best for your continued prosperity from an admirer from across the pond.

[@martinidry6300]

HE'S A REPELLANT CREEP. BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER. PS: His tart of a wife (Sally of the "I had sex with aover a thousand men over the 3 years when I was at university" fame - look it upo if you can be bothered) has zero respect for him as she had it off with his cousin in their double bed. She let the world know, yet he, being a cuckocrat cuckold of the cuckocracy, stays married to her. He has no self respect, so it's unsurprising he has no respect for anyone else. Yet you brown nose this creep. You're obviously clueless about this creature. He's thoroughly corrupt and has dragged British law and the democratic process through the mud. Your country is abysmal, so it's rock bottom standards are used by you as a comparative, in this case, for public speaking in the English language. You're very easily impressed. He's ridiculously pompous and needlessly verbose. He's officially receipted and filed as a bully by the House of Commons, especially offensive to women politicians. Not enough? He so resented not getting anywhere in the Conservative party that he got the Labour party to elect him to being Speaker of the House of Commons and proceeded to do all he could to damage and humiliate the Conservatives in Parliament. He did everything to wreck Brexit. He failed. His inferiority complex shows through clear as day. To Yanks like you, he's the epitome of old style Englishness. We know him for what he is - a working class Jewish oik, son of a taxi driver, on the make, envious and hateful at not becoming Prime Minister and despised for his arrogance and greed.

[@headerali2560]

The intelligence on this man is mesmerising 👍🏾

[@fdama]

Pausing every few seconds to look up words from his speech in the dictionary.

[@FA-jw1sx]

Really.....

[@jakmanxyom]

Was the Dictionary...Oxford Learners'? 😂

[@Flamey45]

Who is here watching this because they miss this legend of a man already? I absolutely love this man! To me, he is the greatest speaker in the history of parliament. I could listen to him all day, and I shall miss his use of language, his intelligence, his wit and of course his thunderous tones across the house. OrrrrrrrrrDERRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

[@TheRobbieLaaaaaad]

Who's here after Bercow announced he is stepping down as speaker? Probably my favourite Oxford Union address.

[@eastwestcoastkid]

Rob Len here here!

[@adamlanga1938]

Best Speaker in the world

[@untergehermuc]

Nah, Lammert in Germany was better…

[@johnclaycali]

What a treat. A statesman who can speak with wit and elegance! Thanks so much for sharing it!

[@optimistindevenire3442]

❤️❤️❤️ Mr Bercow’s exquisite mastery of the English language makes one fall in love with the very concept of raising semantics to royal height!

[@joshkolchins7753]

What an erudite, brilliant speaker - and I mean that both literally and figuratively. I wish we had such rhetorical brilliance and dedication to the legislative process in the US.

[@peterstill3760]

Bercow is a brilliant orator, an ethical and likeable man of considerable stature. Of all the prominent figures of parliament, he is by far my favorite. He would make a formidable PM of the stature that Boris is aiming for but will probably never achieve imho. May looks puny next to him.

[@fireyflower6643]

Totally agree

[@francychavez4392]

I could listen to this guy speak for days ... I can't wait till he publishes his first book. What a wonderful intellectual.

[@KirkLinnDeGrassi]

Francy Chavez preferably to do an Audible spoken by him

[@JennyO414]

I could listen to John Bercow all day! I love his expressiveness and his wit!

[@gosiawiech1211]

This is so amazing! Yet depressing at the same time as I don't understand half of what he is saying..but my ears and my brain is mesmerized. What a talent and charisma!

[@harrymelad942]

A very accomplished speaker and superb orator with immaculate diction, pronunciation and enunciation and no umming and ahhing. What a lot of people may not realise is that he is not an upper class public school toff and not even a middle-class grammar school boy. His father was a taxi driver and he went to a comprehensive school. It goes to show that hard work and ambition pays off.

[@oneworldmusicpodcast2369]

Members of the Oxford Union, this channel is of my weekly excitement. Thank you for posting these videos! All the best to you

[@MrKingpenguin123]

bercow a real nigga, you know he could charm ya girl with that hench voice

[@tomgreeves9248]

That comment made me shake with laughter.

[@AtifAziz0077]

What a great fluency he has. Great speaker and clarity of thoughts.

[@fartypebbles]

I could listen to him all day. He has such a beautiful way with words.

[@excalibaxe]

this guy rocks... inside the parlament and outside... smashing

[@elloello4484]

Thanks considerably for uploading this lecture in the past on January 2017...I have finally witnessed this video in March 2019 and I assure you this video is quite Admirable.

[@Junior-tq8hv]

Ooooordeeerrrrrr 53:53

[@ShubhamBhushanCC]

This is the money shot right here

[@crispybreading8730]

I must express my thanks to you, dear honourable gentleman.

[@KenichiXiz]

A very brilliant orator!

[@liam6345]

A walking talking dictionary. Fair, precise and regardless of his immaculate vocabulary, subtle. There has been times during business that you can see he does or doesn't agree; however, he never shows a biased attitude and acts appropriately to all queries and questions both inside and outside the house with great diligence. Hopefully, and I say this with the utmost respect, what a great speaker he is. also, i struggled writing this. I'm not a walking talking dictionary. I couldn't decide whether I should write "he never shows a biased attitude" OR "he never shows a bias attitude" Anyone who knows the correct grammar please reply and let me know! :)

[@zyaicob]

Biased attitude

[@peterwilkins7013]

'Biased' is an adjective, used to describe his attitude. Alternatively, one could use 'bias' as a noun as in 'he never shows bias'.

[@Squiffilect]

His Boris impersonation is impeccably and meticulously authentic.

[@quantum_beeb]

He is a novice with social media, but is a star. I am an American, very much admire this speaker, and am envious of him, in regard to our government.

[@tsuikit2411]

I am just in awe at his English proficiency

[@nrnar]

"sine qua non" meaning an essential condition; a thing that is absolutely necessary.

[@yamborghini391]

I'm glad just his being clearly influences others to speak properly without sounding overly posh or intolerable

[@the3gambas489]

Ffs. Oxford must be broke if it needs this many ads.

[@zombiegun71]

The 3 Gambas PREMIUM

[@fernank017]

you must be broke if you can't afford youtube premium

[@ARCANEmateCLAN]

Use an ad blocker, don't get premium. If you're on mobile try installing NewPipe - let's you watch in the background too.

[@improvementrevolution6607]

@@fernank017 You must be closed minded and a materialist if you're picking on someone -- ESPECIALLY for being poor!

[@briancline7349]

Yes, using so many adds in such an entrepreneurial fashion is rather below stairs.

[@erhardt1477]

Again and again... I do hope to see MORE of this gentleman in the future... Greetings from Europe 🇪🇺

[@elloello4484]

John Bercow is our Modern day Benjamin Franklin. Unbiased, well rounded and versitile gentleman. What an Admirable and we'll spoken man.

[@lariog31]

His Boris Johnson impression at 22:55 is spot. on.

[@hazelangus]

Absolutely. That couldn't have been anybody else!

[@infinitafenix3153]

What an immense pleasure is listening to somebody whose command of the language is so rich, clear and articulate, not to mention the beautiful tone and strength of his voice. Thanks very much, Oxford Union.

[@JakeJustIs]

Quite the speaker the speaker is.

[@AndyAz]

"She's not looking to call an early election" - that really did not age well.

[@ekpenu]

Damn! I wish I could talk like that

[@pamelaroyce5285]

What a remarkable conservative. Hard to believe he is/was a Tory. I am an American and have only recently learned of his existence and role in Parliament. Phenomenal. Sorry about his retirement, but I respect his commitment to the promise he made his family. 🇺🇸❤️🇬🇧

[@JasonGafar]

Such an articulate man. Seriously don't know why someone as esteemed in intelligence as Bercow didn't run for Prime Minister. He certainly would have made the British people proud.

[@sdapeze]

I have huge respect for this man. The best Speaker of the House of Commons that I have ever known.

[@pablodelnorte9746]

A horrible bully.

[@elloello4484]

Whoa!!! This man just used "miscellany" in a sentence and didn't even gratify his own genitals. What a impactfull and delightful way of conversing with people. #ThumbsUpFor #ProperEnglish 👍👍👍

[@theperfectstorm7077]

This man is astonishing... I'm sure if it existed a C3-level Cambridge English Exam, the listening test would be this video lol

[@bjorneidehall1117]

Best speaker of the house in history. Such knowledge about the role is rare

[@elloello4484]

America needs a John Bercow to restore decorum and morality.

[@imapaine-diaz4451]

As a loyal american, I couldn't agree more, however I believe they're not making them over here anymore.

[@briancline7349]

Yes allow me as another American to voice my support for this.

[@nemesi8800]

wow what a privilege to have him there speaking to students.

[@drizer4real]

God I love the language. Even as a non-brit, there is something mesmerizing about an eloquent speach brought by clearly a great English speaking orator as mr Bercow. You Brits make irony - and its weaponized cousin sarcasm - into an art form and dole out wit as a cherished treat.

[@allanmiddleton678]

This is one of the best ‘ Speakers of the House ‘ in my lifetime. One of the best examples still of what Great Britain used to be ! I was there , and it WAS GREAT. ; Little Brexit not for me ! !

[@Dominick_Calvitto.]

Have A'lot of Respect for Mr Bercow Very Intelligent Enjoy Listening to him Speak.Much Respect for Brits ..

[@demoncard1180]

You can't tell that he's not the tallest person in the room. He's an excellent speaker and exudes presence.

[@demoncard1180]

He's neither overly aggressive nor particularly domineering in his role as speaker, and as far as we can tell from media harrassment and badgering - not in his private life. If he was any of those things, he wouldn't be the speaker of the commons, he would be a garden variety MP contributing to the chaos, friendo.

[@demoncard1180]

Nice channel, by the way. It's my god given duty to inform you that the crusades were driven mostly by greed and killed a lot of christians and muslims indescriminately in pursuit of riches and other vice - no different from any other warband at the time and not much different from the likes of Boko Haram or any other African outfit today. Hypocrite that you are, you overlook that and praise them as being from a better time. It makes me immensely sad as an exserviceman that people like you exist. When you grow older, the likes of you will willfully run the country into the ground.

[@demoncard1180]

Coward deleted his comment.

[@elloello4484]

So Eloquent, So Magnus. A true Champion of Honor.

[@stevenlapierre9057]

As a Canadian, and seeing the mess in the house here, we could use a person or Mr. Bercow's caliber in the speaker's seat here.

[@Aldeni1551]

I don't think the president of the oxford union even realises he's having the piss taken out of him for the first 3 minutes of Bercow's speech.

[@airlinephoto]

Wish I could write essays like he talks. Brilliant

[@mujtaba_voice5140]

amazing speech

[@andrewspencer4843]

A fabulous speaker (no pun intended!). Very interesting video. Thanks for posting

[@jxw5]

Amazing fellow - a gift to Humanity

[@yaxl]

25:54 find Angela Merkel and Matt Damon

[@HebrewsElevenTwentyFive]

HAHAHAA, Brilliant.

[@kingofheartsxyz]

yup found them .. there is also John Cena..

[@jameslappin9896]

SOULREAVER I can’t see him

[@carlosmorgado7518]

Hahahaha funny

[@fluxstandard8364]

Well played

[@olal8323]

Wow! Really enjoyed this!

[@thepianocornertpc]

A pleasure listening to him.

[@ralphvandereb66]

the master of loving the sound of his own voice. Orderrrrr

[@randomn5611]

Been watching this, I realise myself I've been mispronouncing words my entire time.

[@patparker4964]

This man is always a pleasure to listen to. I loved his humour when he was The Speaker

[@muhammadafiahmadrazak1908]

Never tired of listening to him.

[@alhassandiallo8262]

What a genius! You shall certainly be missed.

[@nicoleborheier5678]

I love his laugh lines and that he still teaches me new words of my favourite foreign language :D

[@jackiemartin978]

This helped me learn so much. Thank you. I enjoy watching and like Bercow and the meetings.

[@theexcaliburone5933]

I had no idea who this guy was a few days ago, and now he’s my favorite politician

[@chickybagoo9150]

this guy should be in elder scrolls :P

[@chewypiano7194]

An excellent politician and speaker.

[@TheLibermania]

If there is a man i want to hear, it's this person. Probably the most educated british person i know.

[@LuTubuMeu]

It such a pleasure listening this gentlemen, John Bercow. All those Latins origin words, pronounced in British English.

[@anasghanchi5491]

Orderrr

[@justinstergar6757]

He speak good

[@mummum3754]

💩🙄

[@ahmedmohamedahmed700]

a very brilliant and eloquent orator !

[@ZafAdventures]

Love this man, would be pleasure to meet him

[@shsavior2505]

My English was bad but I used to handle the likes of Trump. With this gentleman I need an automated dictionary

[@oneworldmusicpodcast2369]

Must have been a pleasure not having to scream order every five seconds.

[@z5teve]

Great guy.

[@strxwberry4766]

Never shall ever Britain see a speaker like Becrow. What a legend he was. For me he is SIR BECOW

[@yourliestopshere]

Next! NEXT!! NNNNEEEEEXXXXXTTTT!!!!