John Bercow ‘categorically’ denies bullying allegations

John Bercow has “categorically” denied accusations of bullying throughout his time because the Speaker of the Commons.

The assertion comes after his former Clerk of the Home, Lord Lisvane, made a proper grievance about him to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Requirements.

However Mr Bercow mentioned he had by no means “bullied anybody, anyplace at any time”.

The previous Speaker additionally criticised the federal government for failing to appoint him for a peerage.

He mentioned that, since retiring, it had “change into more and more apparent that the federal government has no intention of honouring the centuries-old conference {that a} departing Speaker is promptly elevated to the Home of Lords”.

Mr Bercow added: “Certainly, it has been steered to me that the federal government actively seeks to dam every other try and nominate me for membership of the higher Home.”

There have been studies that the previous Speaker – who beforehand sat as a Conservative MP – has been nominated for a peerage by the outgoing Labour chief Jeremy Corbyn.

Lord Lisvane, who served as Clerk of the Home between 2011 and 2014, confirmed to the BBC he submitted a proper grievance on Wednesday, which was understood to be centred round bullying.

In an earlier assertion, Mr Bercow – who stood down in 2019 after 10 years within the chair – mentioned his former colleague had “ample alternative” to lift points of their time working collectively, including that the timing of the intervention was “curious”.

On Thursday afternoon, he mentioned: “I’ve seen within the media that Lord Lisvane is formally complaining that I bullied employees.

“For the document, I categorically deny that I’ve ever bullied anybody, anyplace at any time.”

Mr Bercow has confronted different accusations of bullying throughout his time in workplace, however has denied all of the claims.

‘No place for bullying’

No 10 mentioned the allegations have been “very regarding” and ought to be “investigated totally”.

The prime minister’s spokesman added: “There will be no place for bullying or abuse in Westminster or any office, and it’s important that the parliamentary management responds totally and promptly to any considerations that are raised.”

Lord Lisvane started working on the Home of Commons in 1972 and has held quite a lot of procedural roles, together with clerk for Personal Members’ Payments and clerk for the European Scrutiny Committee.

He grew to become Clerk Assistant and Director Common of the Chamber and Committee Providers in 2009, earlier than stepping as much as the Clerk of the Home of Commons in 2011.

After standing down in 2014, he grew to become a life peer and sits within the Home of Lords as a crossbencher.

‘Taken under consideration’

Earlier, former Chief of the Commons Andrea Leadsom mentioned anybody discovered to have bullied or harassed colleagues in Parliament “shouldn’t be provided a peerage”.

The now-business secretary, who clashed with Mr Bercow on quite a lot of events within the Commons, informed BBC Radio 5 Stay: “I labored cross-party to place in place a complaints process which might imply anyone, whoever they’re, together with the Speaker of the Home of Commons, or certainly of the Lords, could be topic to those self same complaints procedures.

“Particularly, we made certain for those who have been an MP and also you have been probably going to be provided a peerage, that something that was alleged in opposition to you’d be taken under consideration.

“So, I feel it’s actually essential, whoever you might be, that every one of these complaints are taken critically.”