RETIRED Speaker John Bercow’s most senior former official has been revealed to be behind a fresh stack of bullying allegations.
Ex-chief clerk of the House of Commons Lord Lisvane has made explosive claims against Mr Bercow and passed them onto parliamentary standards commissioner.
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The Sun revealed yesterday two more people had come out claiming Mr Bercow had bullied them during his tenure as Speaker.
Lord Lisvane is one of the multiple staff members making complaints of bullying, humiliation and use of inappropriate language to his staff, according to The Times.
Mr Bercow is the first speaker in 230 years not to be given an automatic peerage following his resignation.
Lord Lisvane retired in 2014.
Former Black Rod Lieutenant General David Leakey, who retired in 2017, said it would set an “appalling” example for Mr Bercow to be given a peerage in a damning assessment of the former speaker.
“He denies (the bullying allegations) vigorously, though I for one have experienced and can testify to his repeated abusive and insulting treatment of those who worked for him,” he wrote in The Sun today.
“It is unforgivable”, he added.
Mr Bercow’s former private secretary Angus Sinclair previously broke a non-disclosure agreement to speak up about Mr Bercow’s temper tantrums and obscene language, saying he once smashed a phone on his desk.
Another former aide, Kate Emms, signed off sick after less than a year working in the Speaker’s office.
BBC Newsnight reported at the time it was connected to the claims of bullying.
Allegations against Bercow
Former chief clerk Lord Lisvane: bullying, humiliating and using inappropriate language towards staff
Former Black Rod Lieutenant General David Leakey: repeated abusive and insulting treatment
Former private secretary Angus Sinclair: “over the top” anger, obscene language, demeaned, mimicked, and smashed a phone on a desk,
Kate Emms: House authorities told she had post-traumatic stress disorder, signed off sick after a year working under Bercow, reported to be linked to Mr Bercow’s behaviour
Tory MP Andrew Bridgen made formal complaint against him over bullying staff
Bercow loyalists have claimed he was snubbed for a peerage because of his efforts to help MPs block Brexit in Parliament.
Ministers claim the continual bullying allegations made against Mr Bercow were behind the decision.
Jeremy Corbyn, however, has decided to nominate Mr Bercow, who was a Tory MP before being Speaker, for a peerage.
No10 has suggested he could block the peerage, as the normal practice is to nominate people from your own political party.
Mr Bercow said last night: “During the five years that we worked together, Lord Lisvane had ample opportunity to raise any accusations of bullying with me. At no stage did he do so… the timing of this intervention is curious.”
Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom, who was in charge of developing Parliament’s new harassment policies said even if Mr Bercow is given a peerage, the allegations will follow him.
She told Sky News: “If you went from being in the lower house to the upper house you would find that allegations followed you… the whole purpose is that complaints, including the Speaker of the House of Commons, could also be subject to that proper procedure”.
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Mr Bercow has also been under fire for racking up a huge expenses bill, charged to the public purse, including taxi rides worth £1000 and farewell parties totalling £12,000.
