LOONDON: Former UK House of Commons speaker John Bercow was on Tuesday branded a “serial liar” in an official report that upheld bullying claims against him and recommended he be denied a parliamentary pass for life.
Bercow, 59, gained an international reputation for his theatrical interventions and dressing down of MPs, as he presided over often fractious debates about Brexit.
He stepped down in 2019 following accusations that he fostered a culture of bullying and harassment within parliament.
On Tuesday, parliament’s sanctions panel upheld an earlier ruling by the legislature’s standards commissioner, concluding that Bercow had displayed “threatening conduct” including verbal abuse and displays of anger.
“The respondent has been a serial bully,” the report said.
“Like many bullies, he had those whom he favored and those whom he made victims. These three complainants were victims.”
The report, which also accused Bercow of being a “serial liar,” added: “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.
“As it is, we recommend that he should never be permitted a pass to the Parliamentary estate.”
In response, Bercow, the longest serving Commons speaker since World War II, denounced the initial report as “amateurish” that would not pass muster in court.
“It is a travesty of justice and brings shame on the House of Commons…
“To describe what I have experienced as a kangaroo court is grossly insulting to kangaroos.
“It is based on the flimsiest of evidence, rooted in hearsay and baseless rumor, and advanced by old school dogmatists… settling some ancient scores with me.”
Although he has had his pass revoked, the former Conservative MP can still access parliament as a guest or as a member of the public.
Bercow defected to Labour after leaving office, but British media reported on Tuesday that he had been administratively suspended from the party pending an investigation.
In his 12 years as the top official in Britain’s elected lower chamber, Bercow was no stranger to controversy.
His broadside against then US president Donald Trump and a perceived bias in his role in Brexit debates riled many within his own party.
The speaker wields enormous power in choosing which MPs speak on what subjects and when, and Bercow promoted the rights of backbenchers to hold ministers to account through emergency debates and questions.
Bercow riled euroskeptics by selecting amendments for debate that challenged the government’s strategy for leaving the European Union.
He was also criticized over a sticker in his car saying “Bollocks to Brexit.”
The youngest person to hold the role for 100 years, Bercow abandoned the traditional robes in favor of a simple gown worn over a suit and tie, and allowed MPs to take off their ties.
But he was embroiled in controversy from the start, when he claimed thousands of pounds (dollars, euros) to refurbish his rent-free official apartment, in part to accommodate his three children.
His wife Sally has also made headlines. In 2011, she posed for a newspaper wearing only a bedsheet, and also appeared in a reality television show.
The Independent Expert Panel report said it was “for historians to judge” whether Bercow had been “a successful reforming speaker of the House of the Commons,” as he claims.
“However, there was no need to act as a bully in order to achieve that aim,” it argued.
“A great office can be filled forcefully and effectively without descending to such behavior.”