I am not a regular reader of the London Gazette, so am grateful to the Twitter feed of Nigel Fletcher, who alerted me to the news in today's edition that the man who was the first Speaker to be ousted from that job for three hundred hears has nonetheless been rewarded with a peerage.
That's right, Michael Martin is to take his place on the red benches and be known as Baron Martin of Springburn, of Port Dundas in the City of Glasgow.
The Telegraph reported a variety of voices in the Upper House as opposing his elevation to the Lords back in May, although later reports suggested that the peerage was in the gift of the Queen and that it would indeed be forthcoming.
Not a good day for the House of Lords, then. Rewarding failure in this way will do nothing to enhance its reputation.
