Former Conservative MP and Commons Speaker John Bercow has said he has switched allegiances to join the Labour Party.

Mr Bercow, who stepped down as Speaker in 2019, said he regards the Tories under Boris Johnson as “reactionary, populist, nationalistic and sometimes even xenophobic”.

“I am motivated by support for equality, social justice and internationalism. That is the Labour brand,” he told The Observer.

“The conclusion I have reached is that this government needs to be replaced.

“The reality is that the Labour Party is the only vehicle that can achieve that objective.

“There is no other credible option.”