£2.4m cost of gagging staff in Commons

THE Commons has spent more than £2.4million on gagging orders on John Bercow’s watch, it has emerged.

On the day on which the Speaker originally pledged to resign, it was revealed that a total of 53 non- disclosure agreements were signed between 2013 and 2017 – almost one a month.

It is known that at least one of the gagging clauses relates to one of Mr Bercow’s employees, former private secretary Angus Sinclair, who broke cover last month to accuse him of bullying. Mr Bercow strenuously denies the claims.

He has been Speaker since 2009, during which time he has had a large influence over the way the Commons is run.

Details of the cost of gagging orders – which work out at more than £45,000 per recipient – were revealed following a Freedom of Information request by the Press Association news agency.

Eleven agreements were signed in 2013 costing a total of £916,082, with 14 in 2014 totalling £405,682, five in 2015 totalling £182,706 and 15 in 2016 coming to £584,893. Last year, eight non-disclosure agreements were signed totalling £317,813.

The revelation that so many have been signed raise further concerns over a perceived culture of bullying and harassment in Westminster. Commons leader Andrea Leadsom described the cost of the agreements as ‘surprising’.

The revelation comes as pressure mounts against Mr Bercow to honour the pledge he made when he was elected to serve no more than nine years. That deadline is reached today.

Commons authorities confirmed that all 53 settlement agreements included confidentiality clauses, but said that they do not prevent those who signed them from whistleblowing.