Former Commons speaker John Bercow has been branded a “serial liar” and banned from holding a pass to Parliament after an investigation found him guilty of bullying.
Parliament’s Independent Expert Panel (IEP), which determines appeals and sanctions in cases where bullying complaints have been brought against MPs, said it would have also recommended he be expelled from the House if he were still a sitting member.
Mr Bercow called the investigation a “travesty of justice” which “brings shame on the House of Commons”.
He said he has “never applied for” a Parliamentary pass and does not want one.
His behaviour fell very far below that which the public has a right to expect from any Member of Parliament
The IEP said an inquiry by Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone upheld 21 allegations against Mr Bercow from three complainants, all House staff at the time, relating to the period 2009 to 2014.
Mr Bercow, who stood down as speaker in 2019 and was replaced by Sir Lindsay Hoyle, appealed against the commissioner’s findings to the IEP.
But it upheld her verdicts without exception.
In its report published on Tuesday, the panel said: “The findings of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, which we have upheld, show that the respondent has been a serial bully…
“His evidence in the investigations, the findings of the commissioner, and his submissions to us, show also that the respondent has been a serial liar.
“His behaviour fell very far below that which the public has a right to expect from any Member of Parliament.
“The respondent’s conduct was so serious that, had he still been a Member of Parliament, we would have determined that he should be expelled by resolution of the House.
“As it is, we recommend that he should never be permitted a pass to the Parliamentary estate.”
Mr Bercow said people should not “fall for the Establishment spin that I have been banned for life”.
This has been a protracted, amateurish and unjust process which would not have survived five minutes’ scrutiny in court
“I can still attend debates with the help of a friendly passholder or go as a member of the public,” he added.
The former speaker said the case against him “would have been thrown out by any court in the land”, as he claimed it was “based on the flimsiest of evidence” and “rooted in hearsay and baseless rumour”.
He suggested a “vengeful vendetta” had been mounted against him.
“It is a travesty of justice and brings shame on the House of Commons,” he said.
“This has been a protracted, amateurish and unjust process which would not have survived five minutes’ scrutiny in court. To describe what I have experienced as a kangaroo court is grossly insulting to kangaroos.”
He accused Ms Stone of hiding behind parliamentary privilege to “duck scrutiny and legal challenge”.
In a statement, Ms Stone said: “I am grateful to the Independent Expert Panel for their detailed and considered report regarding the conduct of Mr Bercow.
“Their report upholding my findings demonstrates my ongoing commitment to ensuring that the investigations under my oversight, and my subsequent decisions, are independent, impartial, thorough and fair.”
The claims were brought about by Lord Lisvane, the former clerk of the Commons, and private secretaries Kate Emms and Angus Sinclair.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Ms Emms said she was “supremely glad to be vindicated by the report”.
“The impacts of the one and only genuinely horrible, undermining and consistently upsetting period of my career has spread into all areas of my life,” she said.
“Stress, anxiety and loss of confidence sent me home on sick leave and affected how I saw myself and how I felt I was seen by family, friends and colleagues.”
Ms Emms said the report concluded a “saga” involving “an intense period of bullying inflicted a long time ago” and “10 years of professional and personal rehabilitation”.
The “final straw”, she said, was Mr Bercow’s “unspeakably self-serving account in his memoirs”.
She added: “It is painful but gratifying to read such a comprehensive analysis with such clear and unequivocal conclusions.”
In a statement previously published by the Sunday Times, Lord Lisvane accused Mr Bercow of breaking a strict confidentiality requirement by choosing to speak out about the probe before the findings had been made public.
The IEP said in its report: “It is certain that the respondent himself (Mr Bercow) breached the obligation of confidentiality in a burst of publicity on 16 January 2022 and shortly thereafter.
“He stated directly to us that he did this on the suggestion of his media adviser.”
Dave Penman, General Secretary of the FDA union, which represents civil servants, said: “The FDA welcomes the decision to uphold the 21 complaints of bullying and harassment made by Kate Emms and her colleagues against the former speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow.”
Mr Penman said Mr Bercow had “flouted confidentiality rules in a number of media appearances”, which he said had caused “further unnecessary distress to the complainants”.
He added: “I would like to commend the courage shown by Kate Emms and her colleagues for speaking out and pursuing their complaints in incredibly difficult circumstances.”
