MPS offer evidence of Bercow’s ‘bullying’ to peerage committee
MINISTERS have offered to provide evidence of John Bercow’s “bullying” to the committee deciding his proposed peerage, The Daily Telegraph has learnt.
A number of senior MPS are understood to have written to Lord Bew, the Lords appointments commission chair- man, expressing concerns about his supposed nomination to the Lords.
Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, has not denied reports he nominated the former speaker after Boris Johnson refused to put his name forward.
Leaders of the Opposition can only propose politicians from their own party – it is not known whether Mr Bercow, the former Tory MP for Buckingham, switched party. He also had the option of nominating himself as a cross-bencher.
Mr Bercow wrote in his recently published autobiography he “hoped to contribute usefully in the Lords”. A government source said: “A number of ministers have expressed their concerns to Lord Bew. He has written back saying that while he cannot confirm or deny any nominations, that he would be looking very carefully at any allegations that had appeared in the media or that could be evidenced and that he would be taking all of that into serious consideration.”
A number of Commons employees who have complained in the past about Mr Bercow’s behaviour are understood to have sent submissions to Lord Bew.
They are thought to include Kate
Emms, his former private secretary, who was last week revealed to have been on the receiving end of her boss’s rage after his toothpaste was confiscated by airport security.
A biography of Mr Bercow by Sebastian Whale claimed friends of Ms Emms, who was signed off work with stress, described him as “vile”, “inappropriate”, “unpleasant” and “appalling”.
David Leakey, a former Black Rod who has accused Mr Bercow of “brutalising people”, has questioned whether the proposed peerage might “bring the House of Lords into disrepute”.
Lord Lisvane, who has also made a complaint of bullying, humiliation and use of inappropriate language to staff witnessed during his time as chief clerk to the Commons, is also thought to have written to Lord Bew, along with Angus Sinclair, Mr Bercow’s former private secretary.
Mr Bercow denies all the claims against him.