Commons Speaker Resigns
In a brief statement, the Speaker of the House of Commons, who amongst other things is responsible for maintaining order during Parliamentary debates, announced his resignation before a packed House of Commons. The resignation follows weeks of public anger at revelations of MPs' expenses. The Speaker is now the most high-profile casulaty of the expenses scandal.
Several MPs, most notably the Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, had called for Michael Martin's resignation. He received strong criticism for trying to prevent details of MPs' expenses being made public. He was also criticised for his verbal attacks on MPs who had questioned his judgment. The Conservative backbencher Douglas Carswell, who tabled a motion calling for the Speaker to resign, accused the speaker of having lost his "moral authority". 23 MPs had signed the motion expressing no confidence in the Speaker, although it was unlikely to be debated in the Commons.
Michael Martin will step down as Speaker and resign as an MP on the 21st of June. He has been an MP for more than thirty years. He is the first Speaker in over 300 years to resign, since Sir John Trevor was ousted in 1695. According to Parliamentary convention, MPs do not criticise the Speaker, so openly calling for his resignation is almost without precedent.
The next Speaker will be elected by a Secret Ballot on the 22nd of June. A by-election will also take place in Michael Martin's constituency of Glasgow North East.
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