A senior Commons official who defended Speaker John Bercow over bullying allegations and was reportedly found to have bullied staff himself is set to retire.
Serjeant at Arms Kamal El-Hajji was reportedly found to have bullied a deputy by an independent investigation in February.
And he attracted controversy last summer for calling bullying allegations against Bercow, which the Speaker denies, a “witch hunt”.
El-Hajji was the first Muslim and ethnic minority person to hold the serjeant at arms job, where he held responsibility for keeping order in the House of Commons and carried out ceremonial duties such as carrying the mace.
He will stand down on July 31 after three years and a half years in the job.It comes after reports that he had yelled at a female deputy in front of witnesses.
According to the Times, the Commons appointed harassment investigator Sheelagh Douglas to investigate allegations of bullying by deputy security director Fay Tennet.
The investigation concluded that El-Hajji had breached his code of conduct and had been bullying, the newspaper said.
A Commons spokesperson told HuffPost UK it could not comment on individual cases but that “allegations of bullying and harassment are always taken seriously and investigated thoroughly.″
El-Hajji’s allies in parliament were keen to stress that he was a “gentle giant’, a “people pleaser” and “not a confrontational person”.
Bercow said: “Kamal has been a breath of fresh air in this place.
“He is a natural peacemaker and a people pleaser, who makes visitors here feel very welcome.
“He is passionate about parliament, always keen to serve, to solve problems and to facilitate the smooth running of the House. He is a fine public servant.
“In the three years that he has worked in the House, I have come to know Kamal well, to enjoy his friendship and to respect his loyalty.”
Speaker’s Chaplain, the Reverend Rose Hudson Wilkin said El-Hajji was “a gentle giant of a man who always looks for the best in others”.
“He is not a confrontational person, but one who prefers to listen and then find a solution that keeps everyone on-board.
“He has a quiet determination and is truly interested in and cares about those around him.
“I will personally miss him and wish him and his family every blessing in his future endeavours.”
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, who knew El-Hajji when he was head of security at the Ministry of Justice, also praised the outgoing serjeant at arms.
“He has always been an outstanding public servant and should rightly be proud of being the first member of a minority community to be appointed to what is one of the most prestigious and long-standing posts in the UK’s public life,” Grayling said.
“I wish him all the very best for his retirement. We will miss him.”
The office of serjeant at arms dates back to 1415 and the reign of Henry V when the serjeant was responsible for carrying out the orders of the House of Commons, including making arrests.
Today, the serjeant at arms performs ceremonial duties that date back to the early days of the office, for example the serjeant is required to carry the mace in the speaker’s procession each day and also into the House of Lords during the state opening of parliament.