John Bercow launches extraordinary rant about being stitched up by a 'kangaroo court' and says he WON'T say sorry to his bullying victims because he 'doesn't believe in faux apologies' - while vowing to continue visiting Parliament despite lifetime ban

 Unrepentant John Bercow refused to say sorry to the victims of his bulling today - as he insisted he had been stitched up by the Establishment because he was a Parliamentary 'reformer'.

The ex-Commons Speaker was censured for mistreating staff during his decade-long tenure, including explosive tantrums and rages.But rather than apologising he painted himself as the victim in an 800-word diatribe sent to reporters. 

The 59-year-old blasted the findings of a report by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner and an Independent Expert Panel that recommended he be barred from Parliament. 

He described it as a 'travesty of justice rooted in prejudice, spite and hearsay' carried out by a 'kangaroo court'.

And he vowed to circumvent the ban, saying he would continue to attend 'with the help of a friendly passholder or go as a member of the public'. 

Rather than keep a low profile Mr Bercow embarked on a round of media interviews today, setting out why he was the wronged party.

Asked on  BBC Radio 4's The World At One if he had apologised to three former aides for making their work life a misery, he said: 'No I most certainly haven't, because, very simply, I don't believe in faux apologies. I didn't bully anyone.

The 59-year-old blasted the findings of a report by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner and an Independent Expert Panel that recommended he be barred from Parliament.

Mr Bercow's former secretary Angus Sinclair, pictured in a Newsnight film 

But Ms Stone upheld 21 out of 35 counts brought by Lord Lisvane (left), the former clerk of the Commons, and former private secretaries Kate Emms (right) and Mr Sinclair.

In an astonishing 800-word rant, Mr Bercow (pictured with wife Sally in 2019) blasted the decision, saying it was a 'travesty of justice rooted in prejudice, spite and hearsay' carried out by a 'kangaroo court'.

'I absolutely accept that under the system passed by the house, the IEP has a right to make a decision. 

But I do not have to accept that its decision is right. It isn't, I don't. And for that reason I am most certainly not apologising.

'I fought for change, I was a consistent reformer. I drove through a programme of innovation in the chamber, across the parliamentary estate and in our relations with civil society. I didn't bully anyone and no court other than a kangaroo court would find that I did.'

In a report published this morning, Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Kathryn Stone, found him guilty of 21 claims made against him relating to behaviour during his decade as Speaker from 2009 to 2019.

Among his tyrannical behaviour were episodes where he threw a mobile phone so that it shattered over a secretary, and berated another by calling them 'f*cking stupid'.

In another tirade the now 59-year-old, once branded a 'stupid, sanctimonious dwarf' by a minister, was described as 'physically shaking with fury, his fists bunched and trembling, his eyes popping'.

He now faces being blocked from holding a Commons pass usually given to ex-politicians.

In his statement, Mr Bercow said:  'Parliament is supposed to be the highest court in the land. This inquiry, which lasted a ghastly 22 months at great cost to the taxpayer, has failed it dismally. 

'At the end of it, the panel has simply said that I should be denied a parliamentary pass which I have never applied for and do not want. 

'That is the absurdity of its position. Don't fall for the Establishment spin that I have been banned for life. I can still attend debates with the help of a friendly passholder or go as a member of the public.

'All I can say is that the case against me would have been thrown out by any court in the land since it is based on the flimsiest of evidence, rooted in hearsay and baseless rumour, and advanced by old school dogmatists once intent on resisting change at all costs and now settling some ancient scores with me. 

'Add to that a dash of personal spite and you have some idea of the vengeful vendetta mounted against me. It is a travesty of justice and brings shame on the House of Commons. 

'This has been a protracted, amateurish and unjust process which would not have survived five minutes' scrutiny in court. To describe what I have experienced as a kangaroo court is grossly insulting to kangaroos. None of the investigators is a lawyer and the Commissioner overseeing them has no expertise whatsoever in the consideration of alleged bullying. 

'Throughout, gossip from absent friends of the complainants has been treated as the absolute truth, whilst eyewitnesses who challenged the allegations were described as 'not helpful' and discounted. The Commissioner even presumed to make findings on matters about which I was never questioned.'