Official probe into abuse of Commons staff WON’T investigate claims John Bercow and MPs bullied workers

COMMONS SPEAKER John Bercow will escape investigation by an unprecedented Commons inquiry into bullying, it emerged today.

Campaigners slammed officials as they appointed ex-High Court justice Dame Laura Cox to lead the probe but revealed it would not look at past cases nor seek to identify any alleged perpetrator.

Guidelines revealed Dame Laura Cox would only be looking to establish the nature and extent of bullying and harassment and “identify any themes or patterns”.

“It is not the purpose of the inquiry to reopen past complaints of bullying or harassment or to investigate new ones against particular individuals,” the guidelines added.

It comes just a month after BBC Newsnight revealed explosive allegations against the Speaker, a Tory and a Labour MP in an expose which triggered calls for an investigation.

Allegations vehemently denied by the Speaker claimed his private secretary had to be signed off with PTSD in 2011.

Insiders claimed MPs on the Commons Commission appeared to have watered down the inquiry’s mandate – also worried about what Dame Laura would discover about backbenchers’ treatment of clerks and advisors.

Amy Leversidge, head of white-collar civil service union, the FDA, said: “Our fear is that the inquiry is doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past if it does not consider previous and existing cases.

“Our view is that the current policy has failed and must be replaced.

“The failure to consider existing and past complaints by the inquiry will potentially result in a clean slate for the perpetrators of bullying and harassment rather than the promised closure for staff.”

Speaker Bercow’s former private secretary, Kate Emms, left her post in 2011 after less than a year having been signed off sick.

The Speaker – famed for his shouts of “Order! Order!” – was said to have repeatedly shouted at and undermined his staffer.

Commons authorities were told that she had post-traumatic stress disorder – and had to be kept away from the Speaker when moved to a new role in the Commons.

Mr Bercow’s office has rejected the allegations and insisted the claims are “simply untrue”.

Others included of bullying by BBC Newsnight were Labour MP Paul Farrelly and Tory backbencher Mark Pritchard. Both denied any wrongdoing.

Dame Janet Gayner – one of two non-Parliamentarians on the Commons Commission – said the appointment of Dame Laura Cox demonstrated the panel’s “intent” to put processes in place to protect Commons staff.

Tory Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom declined to respond to accusations of a whitewash today.

In a statement she said: “I am pleased to hear that the independent inquiry has made good progress in appointing its Chair. I hope staff, both past and present, will be reassured by the confidentiality offered by Dame Laura’s inquiry, and will feel confident to input into it."