Bercow: Accused MPS are being treated like terrorists

JOHN BERCOW last night backed demands for MPS to be told details of offences they are accused of as he claimed they were being treated like terrorists.

Speaking to students at the Mile End Institute in east London, the Commons Speaker said MPS are “entitled” to be told of the allegations.

“The principle is analogous to the way we behave in relation to terrorists. We have certain standards that we insist ln upholding ... we believe in fair trial, we believe in innocent until proven guilty, we believe in due process.”

He made the comments as Charlie Elphicke, the Dover MP who was suspended and reported to the police over unspecified allegations, said he was being “denied justice” by Theresa May and the way the party has treated him is “fundamentally wrong”. Mr Bercow said: “For God’s sake that Member [of Parliament] is entitled to know of what he or she is accused and that member is entitled to learn when a judgment has been made about his situation, of that suspension first hand not first through the media.”

Mr Elphicke said he found out about the allegations when he received a call from a journalist at 9pm on Friday telling him he would have the whip withdrawn in time for the 10 o’clock news. He said: “Minutes later, I received a call from the Chief Whip telling me that serious allegations had been made against me earlier that week and that these had been passed to the police.”

He said: “I asked what the allegations were and he would not tell me. He only said that he and the Prime Minister had decided the whip should be suspended from me.”