As the Commons – or at least some parts of the Commons – dissolve into an unrestrained John Bercow love-in, allow me to remind even those who might agree with him politically of an inconvenient truth:
Let’s not forget that separate to allegations against him (which he denies), Dame Laura Cox’s report into bullying of Parly staff last October advocated that Bercow had to go as a basic starting point to get reform and restore staff confidence. Totally ignored for political gain. https://t.co/mn6Yhu56Hl
— Mark Wallace (@wallaceme) September 9, 2019
Here’s what Dame Laura Cox, a High Court Judge, said about the Speaker’s position almost a year ago in an official report commissioned to try to end the bullying of Parliamentary staff. https://t.co/t2o2zh7WP2
— Mark Wallace (@wallaceme) September 9, 2019
The Cox report could not have been more serious and authoritative – but its recommendations were thrown away by politicians who wanted to keep Bercow in place regardless. https://t.co/4m14HlMyD5
— Mark Wallace (@wallaceme) September 9, 2019
My original analysis of the Cox report – including the severity of the problems it exposed and the failure of Commons authorities to get to grips with them – from 2018 can be found on Twitter here. Politicians lauding the Speaker today should perhaps give more thought to how their words come across to the staff they will walk past in the corridor once they have finished speaking.