Independent Expert Panel says it would have recommended the former speaker be expelled from the House if he were still an MP.
08 March 2022
Former Commons speaker John Bercow has been branded a “serial liar” and banned from holding a pass to Parliament by an independent panel after an investigation found him guilty of bullying.
Parliament’s Independent Expert Panel (IEP), which determines sanctions in cases where bullying complaints have been brought against MPs, said it would have recommended the former speaker be expelled from the House if he were still a sitting member.
Mr Bercow called the investigation a “travesty of justice” which “brings shame on the House of Commons”.
In its report published on Tuesday, the IEP said: “The findings of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, which we have upheld, show that the respondent has been a serial bully…
His behaviour fell very far below that which the public has a right to expect from any Member of Parliament.
“His evidence in the investigations, the findings of the Commissioner, and his submissions to us, show also that the respondent has been a serial liar.
“His behaviour fell very far below that which the public has a right to expect from any Member of Parliament.
“The respondent’s conduct was so serious that, had he still been a Member of Parliament, we would have determined that he should be expelled by resolution of the House. As it is, we recommend that he should never be permitted a pass to the Parliamentary estate.”
