BREAKING NEWS

Top Barrister Slams Standards Commissioner for refusal to investigate John Bercow

14 October, 2019
David Clews
Rebecca Butler is the prominent barrister who famously slammed Ed Davey over his hypocrisy. She has since been attempting to seek redress against the behaviour of the Speaker John Bercow who she accuses of sullying the role of Speaker. She wrote a letter demanding that he is investigated with tens of thousands of people sharing this on social media and making complaints themselves. Now we can reveal that the Standards Commission has decided NOT to investigate and Rebecca has fired back with the following tough response.
Kathryn Stone OBE
Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards
House of Commons,
London SW1A 0AA
14th October 2019
Dear Mrs Stone,
John Bercow MP
I wish to respond to your refusal of 11th October to investigate John Bercow MP in his role as Speaker of the House of Commons.
He is a public servant and additionally as an MP he is held to the standards of conduct prescribed within the 1995 Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament (“the code”).
The code makes it clear that as an MP, paid for out of tax-payers funds, Mr Bercow is accountable to the “public at large”, not solely to the House or his constituents.
Your stated purpose within the code is to “ensuring public confidence in the standards expected of all Members…”
Further, the Scope of the code makes clear that it applies to “Members in all aspects of their public life”.
The code goes on to state that Members have a general duty to act in the interests of the nation as a whole; and a special duty to their constituents.
“Members should act on all occasions in accordance with the public trust placed in them. They should always behave with probity and integrity, including in their use of public resources.”
The code then goes on to analyse the conduct referable to the Nolan Standards. The details of my complaint against this MP were contained within my original letter, dated 9th October and I would urge you to revisit them.
Your refusal to investigate Mr Bercow on account of him holding the office of Speaker is nothing short of nonsensical.  If he can’t be the Speaker without first being an MP, your response would suggest that he is accountable to no one. The very Committee the public pays to uphold standards, will therefore not countenance a complaint. Is there no standard to which an MP will sink before your involvement?
I would like to ask the following questions of you:
  1. Once a public servant sits as Speaker of the House of Commons, are they no longer in law an MP?
  2. If not to your committee, to whom is the Speaker accountable, as an MP, with reference to his public conduct?
  3. Are MPs who also serve as Ministers of State accountable to your committee?
  4. What standard is applied by your officers when considering whether a complaint against an MP should be investigated?
  5. How is the original sifting process monitored and which level of staff member sifts the complaints?
  6. Is there any member of your department directly related to, or linked to, in any way, Mr Bercow?
  7. Have there been previous complaints made and investigated by your committee regarding Mr Bercow’s conduct?
  8. How many complaints against MPs are dealt with by your office every year?
  9. Of those complaints, how many fail to be investigated?
  10. Of those investigated, how many result in a complaint being upheld?
I look forward to your earliest response.
Rebecca Butler
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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWQrUHrUGuY[/embedyt]

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