Dawn Butler accuses Number 10 of ‘bullying’ John Bercow by denying him peerage
2 min read
Downing Street is "bullying" John Bercow by denying him a peerage, according to a senior Labour frontbencher.
Dawn Butler, the shadow minister for women and equalities, spoke out as it emerged that the former House of Commons Speaker is facing fresh allegations about abusive behaviour towards senior parliamentary figures.
His ex-private secretary Angus Sinclair became the third person to report him to the standards watchdog this weekend, after similar claims by Lord Lisvane, a former clerk of the House, and Lieutenant-General David Leakey, who served as Black Rod, a senior Lords official.
Mr Bercow has denied all the accusations against him and suggested it is part of a co-ordinated attempt to deny him a peerage.
Downing Street chose not to elevate him to the House of Lords after he stood down from the Chair in November, after repeated clashes over Brexit and Commons procedure.
But Ms Butler said refusing to follow protocol and ennobling him was itself a “form of bullying”.
The deputy leadership hopeful told Sky News’ Ridge on Sunday: “I think it is the norm that the Speaker of the House is always given a peerage so I think the question is, why hasn’t he been given a peerage?”
She added: “I would like to know what is the reason why he wasn’t given a peerage. I suspect it is actually to do with Brexit rather than anything else.
“The other thing is that due process has to happen so if you accuse somebody of bullying, then there needs to be due process.
“I am a trade union activist; I am very forceful in terms of making sure that due process is followed so if John Bercow has been accused of bullying then there needs to be due process and has he been found guilty or is it just an accusation?
“I think those are the things that we have to go through but we really do need to ask why is it that you haven’t, like everybody else, ensured that the Speaker of the House is given a peerage.
“I think that’s a form of bullying too.”
Ms Butler has previously defended Mr Bercow from criticism by Number 10, saying she and other Labour MPs are “ready to defend him because his modernising agenda is right for Westminster and right for the country”.
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