‘Stitch-up’ claim over probe into allegations of bullying by Speaker

SENIOR FIGURES who worked closely with Speaker John Bercow and accused him of bullying have claimed there has been an “establishment stitch-up” in failing to investigate the outgoing chair.

Mr Bercow is set to step down from his role as House of Commons referee on Thursday, and former Black Rod David Leakey and ex-private secretary Angus Sinclair have accused the powers-that-be of dragging their heels over acting on complaints against him.

It was announced last week that the parliamentary authorities were opening the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme to former staff and would hear allegations dating back to before 2017.

The development comes more than a year after a report by Dame Laura Cox, a former High Court

JOHN BERCOW: He is due to step down from his role as House of Commons Speaker on Thursday.

judge, warned of “deference and silence” being used to cover up misconduct in Westminster.

Mr Sinclair, who broke a nondisclosure agreement to speak out about alleged bullying by Mr Bercow in 2018, told The Sunday Telegraph the “horse has long bolted” in terms of probing the

Speaker’s behaviour. The 60-yearold has accused the former Tory MP of mimicking him and said he was prone to “over-the-top anger”.

Mr Sinclair said the inaction regarding the allegations was more proof that “as yet the House of Commons is not a safe place”.

Mr Leakey, 67, in 2018 described an incident where the “red mist descended” on Mr Bercow, who he said “banged the table, yelled and was highly insulting to me personally”. The former lieutenant general in the Army said Mr Bercow should be denied the usual peerage bestowed upon former Commons speakers.

A spokesman for Mr Bercow insisted there was “no substance” to the allegations and he has always denied claims that he has bullied staff. A new speaker is due to be elected by MPs on November 4.