Sally Bercow affair: scorned wife slams 'ego and narcissism' of Speaker's wife

Erica Bercow scoffs at suggestion Sally Bercow is broken-hearted, saying: "You have to have a heart to have it broken."

The woman whose husband had an alleged year-long affair with Sally Bercow has suggested the Speaker's wife is a heartless woman driven by "ego and narcissism".

Erica Bercow is back together with her husband Alan Bercow, who is John Bercow's cousin, after he ended his relationship with Sally Bercow.

Sally Bercow has admitted to being a "terrible wife" and said she is "****ing heartbroken" over the end of her affair.

But Erica Bercow scoffed at the suggestion, saying: "I think you have to have a heart to have it broken."

Speaking outside her family's £2m home in Chiswick, west London, she said it was "too early to say" if she would be able to forgive her husband.

On allegations she leaked the story of the affair to the media, she said: "That's absolutely false. I'm not going to make any comments about the affair. I did not leak the story, that's not my style.

^{Sally Bercow outside her London home on Sunday}

  "I'm a lawyer, I deal with US tax, I'm not interested in being a media whore.

"I've a good job, I have a son, I have a husband and I've always been brought up to do the right thing.

"Alan is home. He's home and I'm sorry but I just find this all very distasteful and I really don't want to make any more comments to feed this woman's ego and narcissism.

"I'm not going to put any blame on anyone, I wasn't a party to it."

Mrs Bercow declined to say how she found out about the affair or how long it had gone on for, and repeated that she wanted to get the marriage back on track.

She continued: "Lots of people have affairs. I know lots of friends who have had affairs.

"Their marriages continue on, people actually work hard at fixing whatever fractures were in their marriage and they move on and, you know, when you've got children it's your duty as a parent to put them first and to not, you know, sell your soul to the media and that's I'm afraid probably the most I'm going to say."

She added: "There's innocent parties isn't there and again I've a child and Alan's got two other children. He's not going to make any comments at all."

^{Sally Bercow is still recovering from a bad skiing accident}

She said she had "no idea" if the speaker had spoken to his cousin over the affair.

On Sunday she had said: "I’ve never liked that woman, I just never have. And I’ve never liked him [John Bercow] either."

Erica's mother Olive Scott-Young, 82, said of Sally: "I have no words that could describe my feelings for her. She’s certainly no lady, let’s just leave it at that."

She had little regard for her son-in-law Alan Bercow, 57, saying: "It’s a terrible thing he has done to Erica, but the one good thing that has emerged from all this is that it has shown the world what a fine, dignified woman she is. She has shown tremendous strength at a time when she is dying inside."

Sally Berow, 45, no longer wears her wedding ring and has said she hated living in the Speaker's official residence in Parliament and would never go back.

Acquaintances have suggested her assignations with Alan Bercow started a year ago when they would meet up at a Balls Brothers wine bar in the City. Mr Bercow is said to have wooed his cousin's wife by sharing his knowledge of fine wines.

Speaking on Sunday, Sally Bercow did not deny cheating on her husband, and said she had hated the six "lonely" years living with him in Parliament, and vowed.

Mrs Bercow’s affair is said to have begun at the start of the general election campaign, when the Speaker campaigned in his Buckingham constituency and his cousin moved into a £1.2 million mews house in Battersea jointly owned by John and Sally Bercow.

Mrs Bercow was at the Battersea house alone on Sunday, while the Speaker was at his grace-and-favour flat in Parliament with their three children.

Appearing without her wedding ring on she admitted she has had "a difficult marriage for a long time, primarily because we're living in Parliament and I hate it there."

She said her husband John was "not a weak man" who was "very forgiving" however she added: "But I'm not sure I want to be forgiven."

^{Sally and John Bercow in happier times}

She "wouldn't at all blame him if he thinks 'right I've had enough, she's embarrassed me enough.' He's a good man and he's sucked it up enough in some respects."

Speaking outside her riverside house in Battersea, she appeared angry and resigned as she initially said she did not want to talk about the affair.

But of her husband she said: "I'm saying he's a great dad and a great Speaker.

"Am I a good wife? I'm a terrible wife. I'm a terrible wife. I always have been. If I was John I wouldn't put up with me. I'm not even going to say that he'll take me back.

"I'm not even confirming that I've had an affair with the cousin.

"I'm not even talking about it. I'm not even talking about personal matters, not even going to talk about it. I don't think it's relevant.

"It's up to John, he's the public figure - I'm not. No marriage is perfect, no marriage is perfect, if John wants me back he's crazy.

^{Sally Bercow and Alan Bercow}

"If I was John, I wouldn't put up with it. But I'm a strong woman, I wouldn't put up with it.

"He's not a weak man, he's an amazing man. He loves me very much. Is he a forgiving man? Very. But I'm not sure I want to be forgiven.

"Alan's left me f*****g heartbroken."

She said she loved living in Battersea away from Parliament and added: "I've asked John for the last six years if we can leave. I hate it, I hate living in Parliament, it's like living in a goldfish bowl.

"Since living here the last few weeks I've loved it. I've loved it. I like picking up my kids from school without going back through security.

"Having my friend knocking on my door without having to go through security. I hate Parliament, I always have done. It's a time warp, it's full of flunkies.

"This is normal life. I've got three kids they can play football out here. It wasn't our furniture. All these portraits of f****** politicians from the 18 century.

"Alan Bercow was a great friend of mine and remains a great friend of mine.

"John and I have had a difficult marriage for a long time, primarily because we're living in Parliament and I hate it there."