John Bercow seemed to relish confrontation when he was speaker of Britain's House of Commons. But allegations that he bullied parliamentary staff now threaten his chances of a peerage.

Bellowing "Order! Order!" at rowdy MPs and challenging the government with his handling of debates, Bercow was a key player in Britain's tortured process of leaving the European Union.

He stepped down as the most senior official in the lower parliamentary chamber in October, just weeks before Brexit on January 31.

But his future role is in doubt amid accusations that he "brutalised" staff.

Commons speakers usually retire to the House of Lords, joining ermine-clad fellow peers on the red benches of the unelected upper chamber.

But Bercow's former colleagues have come out in protest at the idea, saying his alleged outbursts during a decade in office make him an unsuitable choice.

Bercow has long faced criticism for presiding over a Commons culture where, as a 2018 report described it, "bullying, harassment and sexual harassment have been able to thrive".

But fresh claims have emerged since he was nominated for a peerage by main opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Robert Rogers, who as clerk of the Commons was Bercow's top adviser until 2014, is reported to have lodged a formal complaint for bullying.

And former soldier David Leakey, who held the ceremonial post of "Black Rod" for seven years until 2017, has accused Bercow of having "brutalised staff - including me".

He said giving him a peerage would be "a scandal".

In an interview with Sky News television this week to promote his autobiography, Bercow dismissed Leakey's criticism as "total and utter rubbish".

"I absolutely insist that I have never bullied anyone, anywhere at any time," he said.

No fan of convention

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman has described the allegations as "very concerning" and said they should be investigated thoroughly.

"Everyone working in parliament deserves to be treated with dignity and respect," he said.

There is no love lost between Johnson's Conservatives and the former speaker.

During years of political turmoil sparked by the 2016 referendum vote for Brexit, Bercow ripped up the parliamentary rule book to block government debates and allow ordinary MPs to make laws.

His supporters say he was simply standing up to a government that sought to sideline parliament, but ministers accuse him of deliberately trying to thwart the whole process of leaving the EU.

It should have been Johnson who nominated Bercow for a peerage - he was a Tory MP before taking on the politically neutral role of speaker in 2009.

Asked why he had not, one Downing Street official told AFP: "As far as I can remember, the speaker wasn't always a fan of convention."

Do it the right way

New Speaker Lindsay Hoyle, a former Labour MP who was Bercow's deputy for nine years, is treading carefully.

He said he witnessed no bad behaviour but has vowed an end to the "bullying culture" in the Commons, which he said made it "an unhappy place to work".

He argues that Bercow's name should be put forward for a peerage, and vetted as usual by the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

The commission assesses if a nominee is in "good standing" in the community and if their past conduct could bring the Lords "into disrepute".

"I'm making no judgement. All I'm saying is, let's do this the right way," Hoyle told journalists late last month.

On Thursday, however, the Commons authorities issued an extraordinary statement rebuking Bercow for naming parliamentary staff in his new autobiography.

"It is unacceptable to publicly name current or former staff without their prior knowledge or authority, especially for the purpose of financial gain or commercial success," it said.

Bercow is not the first speaker whose peerage has been called into question.

In 2009, Michael Martin became the first speaker in 300 years to be forced to quit, following a scandal over MPs' expenses.

The Lords commission reportedly cautioned against awarding him a peerage but the then-prime minister Gordon Brown allowed it to go ahead.