Michael Fabricant says heads should roll after John Bercow scandal: 'Many people knew what was going on'

Tory MP Michael Fabricant, has called out MPs and staff on the parliamentary estate for being complicit in the John Bercow scandal as they overlooked his “evil acts”.

Mr Bercow, former Speaker of the House of Commons, was banned from Parliament and suspended from the Labour Party yesterday after being branded a “serial bully” by an inquiry into his behaviour towards staff.

Mr Fabricant has now said on GB News that Government MPs are also guilty for keeping the scandal under wraps.

He told Tom Harwood: “The people I think who are also very guilty is The House itself. Many people knew what was going on.

“And every time I raised it, I was bullied by Labour MPs who would shout and jeer and try and shut me down."

The MP for Lichfield also suggested that Mr Bercow was defended by Remainers due to his stance on Brexit.

He added: “It wasn’t just bullying, it was bias."

Mr Fabricant recalled an occasion where he tried to flag Mr Bercow's abhorrent behaviour to Margaret Beckett, member of the Labour Party and former Foreign Secretary.

“I remember when I raised that issue in 2014 to Margaret Beckett..she came up to me and said I shouldn’t have raised it, that it was inappropriate," he said.

One of Mr Bercow’s main accusers was Lord Lisvane, who left his job as clerk of the Commons in 2014 after being a victim of persistent verbal abuse.

Commenting on the case Mr Fabricant said: “It was extraordinary, it was morally wrong and as I say I think the House of Commons was complicit in this because we did nothing about it. And this cant be allowed to happen again."

Mr Fabricant's statements come after Parliament announced a new rule that means their staff will not be able to raise complaints about incidents of alleged bullying that occurred more than a year ago.

The new system would invalidate the complaints of verbal and physical abuse against Mr Bercow and made his guilty verdict impossible.

21 complaints against Mr Bercow reviewed by the Independent Expert Panel (IEP) have been upheld after an investigation by Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Kathryn Stone.

They involved violent outburst towards staff, including one incident where he threw a mobile phone so it shattered over a secretary and another where he called a colleague "f***ing stupid".

A House of Commons spokesperson said:"Parliament’s Behaviour Codemakes clear the standards of behaviour expected of everyone in Parliament, whether staff, members of the House of Lords, MPs or visitors. There is zero tolerance for abuse or harassment. The Behaviour Code is supported by the Independent Complaints and Grievances Scheme (ICGS), which provides for the investigation of complaints of bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct.”