John Bercow was a “serial hitter” while he was Speaker of the House of Commons and should not be given a parliamentary pass, a report says.

The independent panel of experts said “his conduct fell far short of what the public has a right to expect from an MP”.

It also said he had shown “undermining behavior” towards staff.

However, Mr Bercow said the investigation into the complaints was “amateurish” and based on “petty chatter”.

Mr Bercow was Speaker of the House of Commons from 2009 to 2019, presiding over a turbulent period when the House of Commons debated the UK’s exit from the European Union.

A report by the independent panel of experts on his behavior confirmed the findings of the parliamentary standardization officer.

The panel said it agreed with the commissioner’s findings that Mr Bercow had been “a serial bully”.

It added that Mr Bercow’s conduct was “so serious that, had he still been an MP, we would have decided that he should be expelled by House resolution”.

Complaints about his conduct in this position have been lodged by Angus Sinclair, a former Member of the House of Commons, Lord Lisvane, a former senior officer, and Kate Emms, a current Member of the House of Commons.

However, in a sharply worded statement, Mr Bercow called the report “a farce of justice based on prejudice, spite and hearsay”.

He said allegations of wrongdoing “were maintained even if eyewitnesses said they did not happen.”

He also argued he was “targeted by three disgruntled former employees because he had emerged as a reformative figure willing to set aside habits and practices to pursue a more radical agenda aimed at breaking the commons more inclusive and diverse”.