"Times's up" was one of the familiar phrases of former Speaker, Betty Boothroyd. It's time for Michael Martin to realise that time is up for his tenure as Speaker.
Here are the key reasons:
He favours the Labour Government: "Mr Martin has connived with the Labour leadership against both its own backbenchers and Opposition MPs. His rulings from the chair too often are fumbling, incoherent and often downright partisan. To give just one recent example, he bizarrely ruled out of order an amendment by Labour MPs calling for a referendum on the European constitution." (Telegraph)
His own ethical lapses: "Mr Martin has been forced to admit that he used air miles, accumulated when he flew at our expense, to fly seven members of his family on business-class trips from Glasgow to London for a New Year break. And this is the man expected to ensure others behave honourably?" (Daily Mail)
His poor judgment: "Mr Martin chose to put the allowances inquiry in the hands of a committee, five of whose six members have come in for criticism over their own financial dealings. One of them even claimed £3,300 on his Commons expenses for a quad bike." (Daily Mail)
His delays to necessary reform: "Michael Martin faced down a plan for MPs to declare their spouses in the Register of Members of Interests, the Evening Standard is reporting. Last week plans from Sir George Young (a contender to replace Martin) emerged for an 11th column for listing relatives enforced by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. These have been defeated because "pressure has been put on the standards and privileges committee to shelve the proposal so as not to upstage the Speaker's own report, due later this year." (RedBox, Times)
BBC is reporting tonight that the Speaker's spokesman has resigned after misleading a journalist at the Mail on Sunday about the Speaker's wife using taxis for shopping. It is increasingly clear that a new Speaker - someone with the moral authority, for example, of Sir George Young - is needed to help restore the standing of MPs and Parliament.
7.15pm: Over at CentreRight Conor Burns wants MPs to be more active in ending Michael Martin's tenure.
It's time for him to go.
Posted by: deborah | February 23, 2008 at 20:12
When you think of the previous speakers,, Speaker Martin is an example of the dumbing down of standards since nulab came to power.
Now I come from working class stock however, I recognise that to be a Speaker in the House of Commons a person should at least be intelligent and be able to speak English properly.
I,m Scottish and used to have an Aberdonian accent now however, I can talk proper English and why should we talk properly, so that everyone in this country and the rest of the English speaking world can understand what you say and respect how you say it. Many people from all parts of the UK start life with regional accents and words, yet through proper education they modify their language.
For instance The BBC Today,s James Naughtie comes from my part of the world, yet he talks proper English, if he didn,t he wouldn,t be in that job.
The gutteral Glaswegian language of the likes of Rab C Nesbitt may be funny for a comedian but for a person in a responsible position in British society it makes them sound unintelligent and, in the case of Speaker Martin, dull witted and thuggish.
For all the reasons written above, the pro government bias, the sleeze surrounding his and MP,s expenses and his general ineptitude, he should be replaced.
Also, this episode should make the Democracy Task Force being run by Kenneth Clarke look closely at how the speaker is chosen and removed.
I know the post goes to an MP,, well maybe there is a case for throwing the position open to a non parliamentarian say a person who is a High Court Judge or another learned layman and the choice of speaker also being thrown open to members of the public to vote on at the time of a General Election.
This way the Speaker is a truly unbiased person and representative of all the people.
Posted by: John F | February 23, 2008 at 20:21
Speaker Martin is a disgrace to himself and to his office. He has brought Parliament into disrepute. He must go, now!
Posted by: mike clarke | February 23, 2008 at 20:33
Heis Gordon's human shield at PMQs ang he will not push for him to go unless the 'mo' is irresistable.
Posted by: Northernhousewife | February 23, 2008 at 20:48
John F
Calm down mate.
We understand our Celtic neighbours aswell as we understand other English folk...Geordies, Scousers, Brummies et al.
Posted by: Northernhousewife | February 23, 2008 at 21:11
It does not bother me at all that he speaks with a Glaswegian accent .
What does bother is that , contrary to the very essence of what is required of a Speaker ie a careful impartiality , he has only ever been partisan . A Labour government slave in fact . Link that to his blatant classism and antiEnglishness which he appears to think as integral to being Scottish Labour and this in the parliament of a so called United Kingdom which is supposed to surmount nationalities within that Kingdom and he is unnaceptable .
The killer is that has been found playing with AirMiles .
The sad thing is that the British parliament is now seen by the generality of the population to be seriously flawed . Martin is part of that . There is plenty more .
Posted by: Jake | February 24, 2008 at 00:03
"...there is a case for throwing the position open to a non parliamentarian say a person who is a High Court Judge or another learned layman and the choice of speaker also being thrown open to members of the public..."
Absolutely not. Essential to the Speaker's role is defending the independence and prerogatives of the House, and that means that a Speaker must be OF the House, i.e., a member. Don't take this opportunity to make improvements to instead throw out the baby with the bathwater.
Posted by: Dave J | February 24, 2008 at 02:53
John F, what a bizarre thing to say.
I can understand Glaswegian accents perfectly well as can any normal person. If you can't, I'd suggest you clean your ears out a little better each morning or possibly remove your own head from your rear end?
Posted by: Michael Davidson | February 24, 2008 at 04:56
Are you by any chance a troll, John F?
Posted by: asquith | February 24, 2008 at 09:07
He favours the Labour Government
It is a convention though for the Speaker to favour the government, I remember Betty Boothroyd casting her vote with the government following a tie, if Michael Martin remained speaker and a Conservative government was elected then by convention he would be expected to support a Conservative government in casting votes.
If an opposition MP became Speaker then effectively the main effect of this would be to increase the Labour majority by 2.
Frank Field would probably make quite a good Speaker.
Posted by: Yet Another Anon | February 24, 2008 at 15:38
There have been some quite memorable Speakers of the House, T. G. Thomas (later to become Lord Tonypandy), Bernard Weatherill, who oversaw the televising of the House, and was the last speaker to wear a wig, and of course Betty Boothroyd. All the above are remembered with affection by Parliamentarians and members of the public who follow politics. Then we had Michael Martin – will definitely be remembered but probably for all the wrong reasons! – Yes it is time for him to go – and not because of his Glaswegian accent, nor his humble beginnings – but because he is acutely biased, not the sharpest of decision makers, and not too sure of the Standards in Public Life that he should adopt.
Posted by: Michael Nye | February 24, 2008 at 15:55
One cannot possibly expect the protector of perks and privileges to be turfed out on his ear by those who are enjoying them most!
Posted by: Curly | February 24, 2008 at 19:23
His handling of PMQs is appaling - he has allowed Brown to blatantly not answer questions or treat the session as "Leader of the Opposition questions". If he carries on allowing Brown to treat PMQs with such contempt, it would be fair for our MPs to walk out en masse during PMQs.
Posted by: TimC | February 25, 2008 at 09:39
If memory serves the Speaker always votes with the government in the event of a tie. I may of course be wrong
Re Rab C Martin, it is not that he is Scottish, or from the tenements of Glasgow, or that he is from the "working" class, a misnomer if there ever was one, it is that he is a dim half witted abusive troll with its snout so firmly in the trough that you can only see the tail. It is a great pity that with so many capable people wanting to become legislators on both sides of the political spectrum that a major party selects someone like him to rise beyond the position of leafletter.
To be even handed there are some conservatives I would share similar bile for.
Posted by: Bexie | February 25, 2008 at 17:39