Miss McVey was answering a question on mental health , Mr Bercow interjected to ask her to hurry up . House of Commons Speaker John Bercow has been accused of sexism after likening a female minister to a kitchen appliance . Mr Bercow said the Conservative Employment Minister Esther McVey was like 'washing machine ' that keeps going just when it appears to have stopped . He intervened as the former GMTV presenter was giving her fourteenth response to questions in the Commons . Miss McVey was answering a question on mental health , Mr Bercow interjected to ask her to hurry up . He said : ' I am reminded of the feeling when one thinks the washing machine will stop — but it does not ! ' MPs questioned whether the Speaker should be likening a female minister to a domestic appliance . Ealing North Labour MP Stephen Pound said : ' A washing machine metaphor for a woman minister is seldom a good idea . Let 's see how he spins his way out of this one ! ' Angie Bray , Conservative MP for Ealing Central and Acton , said it was an 'unnecessarily rude ' put-down . She said : ' I 'm not sure it 's for him to criticise the style in which she chooses to answer her questions . ' Miss McVey also appeared put out by the Speaker 's remarks . When SNP MP Dr Eilidh Whiteford asked the next question , on claims that the Tories are planning to cut 30,000 jobs from the Department for Work and Pensions if they win the next election , the minister simply replied : 'For the sake of brevity and clarity , those figures are not true at all . ' The Speaker added : 'That was exemplary brevity and clarity , I must concede . ' Mr Bercow regularly interrupts during Commons debates to ask for contributions to be as short as possible so more MPs can have their say . The Speaker is an increasingly divisive figure in Parliament after being appointed in 2009 after a secret vote with many Tories accusing him of being biased towards Labour . House of Commons Speaker John Bercow was accused of sexism after likening Miss McVey to a kitchen appliance . But The Speaker has defended his controversial record by arguing that his moves to modernise the Commons have got parliament 'off its knees ' . Miss McVey , 47 , has shot through the Tory ranks to attend Cabinet after being elected an MP in 2010 . The glamorous former TV presenter , appearing on ITV 's Loose Women last month , raised eyebrows after admitting she wanted to become Prime Minister . Miss McVey was asked by Janet Street Porter – who was the MP 's boss when she started in television – if she had designs on Number 10 . The Tory cabinet minister said : 'To be honest , it is not as simple as that . But if I had to do a yes or no I 'll be honest and say yes . '
Speaker accused of sexism after likening Miss McVey to kitchen appliance . John Bercow said the Employment Minister was like 'washing machine ' He intervened during a Commons debate to plead for shorter answers . MPs said comparing women to washing machines 'seldom a good idea '