Time to go, Mister Martin, time to go
The tenuous position in which the Speaker now finds himself, is not a result of snobbery as ex-public school boy Lord Foulkes has suggested.
Neither is it just a result of his handling of the MPs Expenses débacle, although - by any measure - he has been a lowsy steward to the nation; having not only blocked any move for reform and public oversight of MPs expenses, but also having spent £1.7m on refurbishing his official residence, winning himself the right to a tax-payer funded £1.4m pension and squandering £21,000 on lawyers fees to try and defend himself from criticism.
It's compounded many times by ther perception that he's an intellectual lightweight, unfit for high office. Few would argue with journalist Melanie Phillips when she described Micahel Martin as "simply the worst Speaker in living memory".
It seems that the Speaker has the right to bat away the motion of no confidence against him today, without bringing the matter to a vote. Who would expect anything better of him?
Neither is it just a result of his handling of the MPs Expenses débacle, although - by any measure - he has been a lowsy steward to the nation; having not only blocked any move for reform and public oversight of MPs expenses, but also having spent £1.7m on refurbishing his official residence, winning himself the right to a tax-payer funded £1.4m pension and squandering £21,000 on lawyers fees to try and defend himself from criticism.
It's compounded many times by ther perception that he's an intellectual lightweight, unfit for high office. Few would argue with journalist Melanie Phillips when she described Micahel Martin as "simply the worst Speaker in living memory".
It seems that the Speaker has the right to bat away the motion of no confidence against him today, without bringing the matter to a vote. Who would expect anything better of him?
posted by Tsuchan at 4:52 pm
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