AN MP who quit a committee in protest over John Bercow's leadership years before he was revealed as a "bully" says she had witnessed his "unnecessary behaviour".

Conservative MP Mims Davies said she was "pleased" to see the former speaker banned from holding a parliamentary pass for life after he was found to be a “serial bully” and a liar.

The employment minister, who is MP for Mid Sussex, resigned from the commons reference group on representation and inclusion in 2018 in the wake of a damning report into bullying and harassment at Westminster.

Four years on, she "welcomed" the result of the independent inquiry that said Mr Bercow would have been expelled from the House if he was still a sitting MP after upholding 21 separate allegations.

She told The Argus: "In October 2018 I left, alongside two other MPs, the ‘Commons Reference Group on Representation and Inclusion’. It was in the wake of a damning report into bullying and harassment at Westminster.

"It follows an inquiry by Dame Laura Cox - set up in the wake of the bullying scandal which disappointingly found bullying, harassment and sexual harassment in Parliament had been “tolerated and concealed”. It was staggering to behold.

"I felt Mr Bercow was therefore not the right person to lead it and had seen some behaviour in the meetings I found unnecessary and absolutely did not reflect the spirit of the work we were doing and committed to.

"I am very supportive of my colleagues Maria Miller MP & Dame Andrea Leadsom MP, as Leader of the House, who stood up to be counted on this issue too and called the former Speaker out too in the Chamber.

"I am pleased to see this come to a head and those who came forward to give their evidence have been listened too.

"Nobody is untouchable due to their position and if you do not behave appropriately and considerately, there are now proper processes in Westminster in place to assist those to make complaints and have their voices heard which I very strongly welcome."

Mr Bercow described the investigation as a “travesty of justice” before refusing to make any “faux apologies”, insisting he has nothing to say sorry for.

The Argus: John Bercow John Bercow

One of his accusers, Lord Lisvane, a former clerk of the Commons, said Mr Bercow had showed “hysterical petulance” for his “whining and whinging” in the face of the Independent Expert Panel’s (IEP) damning conclusions.

It was understood Labour, which Mr Bercow joined last year having previously been a Tory MP, has suspended his membership pending further investigation.

Mr Bercow had appealed against the findings by Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone to the IEP, which determines bullying sanctions.

But the experts upheld her verdicts on the allegations from three complainants, who were staff during the period 2009 to 2014, without exception.

The panel, chaired by former appeal court judge Sir Stephen Irwin, said: “The findings of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, which we have upheld, show that the respondent has been a serial bully.