Former general David Leakey, who served as Black Rod until 2018, said Bercow also criticised 'my background, education and military career'
February 5, 2020 10:43
A former senior parliamentary official, who has accused John Bercow of bullying, said the former House of Commons speaker once called him an antisemite in a row over the accusations.
Speaking to Sky News on Wednesday, David Leakey, who served as "Black Rod" until 2018, said Mr Bercow would "lose the plot, the red mist would descend, he'd jump up and down, thump the table, bawl out insults to me".
Mr Leakey added Mr Bercow called him “an antisemite and was extremely rude about my background, education and military career”.
The accusations against Mr Bercow, who stepped down as Speaker last November, have resurfaced after outgoing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn nominated Mr Bercow for a peerage.
Mr Bercow rejected the allegations on Sky News on Tuesday, calling them "total and utter rubbish from start to finish" and suggested they were motivated by a desire to block his peerage.
He said: "David Leakey didn't work for me, he wasn't employed by me, he wasn't employed by the House of Commons.
"He worked in and was protocol officer of the House of Lords. He is in absolutely no position whatsoever to comment on my relations with my parliamentary colleagues, of which he is completely and utterly ignorant."
Responding to Mr Bercow’s comments on Wednesday, Mr Leakey told Radio Four's Today programme: "Obviously John Bercow doesn't understand or can't remember how the role of Black Rod operates in the Houses of Parliament.
“During my tenure, some 30 per cent of my work was within or for the House of Commons.
"I had very close working relationships with both senior and junior House of Commons staff and almost daily dealings with MPs."
The former Black Rod said it was witnessing Mr Bercow’s “intolerable behaviour” that led to him calling it out.
Mr Bercow was accused of bullying from Mr Leakey and Lord Lisvane, the former House of Commons chief clark.
Mr Leakey said: "I'm speaking out now for two reasons: one is because there is now a process for having these claims properly and formally investigated - there wasn't two years ago.
"And the second reason for speaking out now is because he has been nominated for a peerage by Jeremy Corbyn and I think that if John Bercow was given a peerage in the House of Lords it would be a scandal which Parliament would struggle to live down."
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