Tory MP recalls John Bercow's 'appalling' behaviour as speaker

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Former Speaker John Bercow was found to be a “serial bully” and has been banned from Parliament following an investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Kathryn Stone. Tory backbencher Tim Loughton, who said he joined the House of Commons at the same time as Mr Bercow in 1997, admitted he was not surprised at the findings and that no one was “shedding tears” over his ban. Mr Loughton then lambasted Labour for accepting him into their ranks and said the party now had to deal with him and should take action.

Speaking to GB News, Mr Loughton discussed the findings after the 89-page report was published.

He said: “Well, for those of us who’ve spent… well, I came to Parliament same time as him in 1997.

“I’ve had to suffer all those years under him as Speaker, this comes as absolutely no surprise and I’m glad they’ve got him bang to rights because his behaviour was absolutely appalling.

“And for all the outer show, wanting to clamp down on bullying of staff in the House of Commons, everything else.

“It looks as though he was one of the worst offenders and as I say, it comes as no surprise to many of us so he’s not going to be banned for life from having a pass to get him into the House of Commons and no one’s shedding any tears over that.”

Mr Loughton was then asked what ramifications the findings will have on his new career in the Labour Party and whether it would be “embarrassing” for them.

He added: “Yeah, that’s a shame, isn’t it?

“I mean, if they wanted to take him now they’ve got the consequences of taking on somebody who’s been disclosed by the House of Commons authorities as a serial bully, whose behaviour we certainly wouldn’t tolerate in the Conservative Party.

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“So the Labour Party are welcome to him and I’d be interested to see what action they’re now going to take.

“Now he’s one of them and rumours in the last few days that he may be looking to run for the Mayor of London as the Labour candidate in the future.”

The report discussed the details of Mr Bercow’s abuse and revealed two occasions where he threw a phone and repeatedly swore at staff.

It also stated if Mr Bercow was still an MP then “he should be expelled”.

Mr Bercow said in a statement: “All I can say is that the case against me would have been thrown out by any court in the land since it is based on the flimsiest of evidence, rooted in hearsay and baseless rumour, and advanced by old school dogmatists once intent on resisting change at all costs and now settling some ancient scores with me.

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“Add to that a dash of personal spite and you have some idea of the vengeful vendetta mounted against me.

“It is a travesty of justice and brings shame on the House of Commons.

“This has been a protracted, amateurish, and unjust process which would not have survived five minutes’ scrutiny in court.

“To describe what I have experienced as a kangaroo court is grossly insulting to kangaroos. None of the investigators is a lawyer and the commissioner overseeing them has no expertise whatsoever in the consideration of alleged bullying.

“Throughout, gossip from absent friends of the complainants has been treated as the absolute truth whilst eyewitnesses who challenged the allegations were described as ‘not helpful’ and discounted. The commissioner even presumed to make findings on matters about which I was never questioned.”

Mr Bercow can still visit Parliament as a visitor but his rights as an MP have been removed.

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