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Speaker does not deserve to be granted seat in Lords, say peers
Nicholas Cecil20.05.09
Michael Martin should be denied a peerage, two members of the Lords said today. Former Tory Chancellor Nigel Lawson led calls for the Speaker not to be elevated to the Upper Chamber.
Mr Martin yesterday became the first Speaker to be hounded out of office for more than 300 years after losing the confidence of scores of MPs across all the main parties.
“He has let the House of Commons down. He has let parliamentary democracy down and it is good that he has gone,” said Lord Lawson. “I very much hope that he will not be offered the customary peerage because I am afraid to say he clearly does not deserve it.”
Mr Martin was forced out following a series of blunders including his role in the MPs' expenses scandal, when he fought to keep details of claims secret, and his handling of the police raid on the Commons office of shadow immigration minister Damian Green.
With Parliament reeling from the rows, Liberal Democrat peer Lord Oakeshott added: “No one should pick up a peerage with his P45 — least of all Mr Martin, who has so damaged our democracy.”
This view will echo strongly in the City after Gordon Brown attacked the “reward for failure” culture of disgraced bankers, including Sir Fred Goodwin who retired early with a pension of more than £700,000 a year. By tradition, former Speakers are elevated to the Lords.
Mr Brown will be desperate not to further humiliate Mr Martin after he became the first Speaker to be ousted since Sir John Trevor was expelled from Parliament in March 1695 for accepting a 1,000 guineas bribe from the Corporation of London.
However, he could delay giving him a peerage until the storm over his stewardship of the Commons dies down. Mr Martin, aged 63, is due to retire as Speaker with a pension pot worth about £1.5 million, which would give him a pension estimated to be at least £65,000 a year. As a peer, he would also be able to claim £174 for every night he spends in London on Lords' business.
Today, Mr Martin's predecessor Baroness Boothroyd broke her silence to launch an astonishing attack on the Speaker and the Government, adding that MPs must bear “collective guilt” for the Commons' failures.
“Recent disclosures have traumatised Parliament and shaken the confidence of everyone who regards the Commons as the chief forum of the nation,” she said.
“Speaker Martin has taken the initial brunt of the criticisms levelled against the Commons for its failure to observe the high standards of ethical conduct expected of it.”
She praised him for apologising to the country for the expenses scandal but then launched further searing criticism. Highlighting how she had warned of public cynicism in Parliament when she stood down in 2000, she said: “Little has changed and recent events have made matters worse. The Commons must bear a collective guilt in this.”
With Mr Martin due to step down as Speaker on 21 June and then quit as an MP, senior backbenchers are jockeying for position to succeed him. Former Labour minister Chris Mullin refused to rule himself out and Tory MP John Bercow is already winning early support, particularly from Labour MPs.
Other possible candidates include Sir George Young, chairman of the standards and privileges committee, Labour MP Frank Field, Liberal Democrat Sir Alan Beith, and deputy Speaker Sir Alan Haselhurst.
Tony Wright, chairman of the public administration committee, and former shadow home secretary David Davis have ruled themselves out, but speculation is rife that Lib-Dem deputy leader Vince Cable could come under pressure to put his name forward to lead the reforms of the Commons.
Reader views (11)
How long will it be before the Lords' expenses are published. Do not forget that many of them cut their teeth in the coomons and so we can expect some pretty sophisticated claims from the "Noble Lords" and ladies.
- Colin Macpherson, Gramat France
The shameless incompetent will have been guaranteed a title by the other shameless incompetent.
i.e.Martin will have been promised this by Brown.
Wait until Blears is kicked upstairs and then the brown stuff will hit the fan.
- P Doff, audierne france
There has been a "Revolution" according to some. Now let us take it the whole way The House of Lords manages to block some ridiculous legislation but it is mostly done by a few hard working "professional" peers. Look at the Parliament Channel and you seldom see the place overcrowded. For example Have you ever spotted Ashcroft,Hogg,Stevens on their feet in the chamber? It is time for reform.
As for Michael Martin surely not.Sadly he has no shame & little understanding of what he has done. Mark my words they will give him a peerage probably alongside Victor Blank who has does as much harm to banking as Martin has done to the Commons.
- Mordwinoff, Lisle France.
No, the question is When Will We Learn? We the British public allow this culture to thrive so we must stop it. It defines what it is to be British. The Country Club, The Royal Family The Lords. As news it has all just come at a bad and really if times were good I don't think there would be much fuss. Nothing will change and in the end it will just quiet down and we will just take the beating.
- A.Taxpayer, London
Is this the same government who made such a fuss over the RBS pension fiasco, a big payout and peerage for a "failed" Speaker! What hypocrosy..........
- Brian Hughes, Llandudno. North Wales. U.K.
There has to be some sort of organised move to prevent this appalling creature from taking any form of public office whatsoever. Can we rely on our appointed representatives in Parliament to do this? Somehow, I am not hopeful.
- Ken, Bexleyheath
To get away with a seat in the Lords is a reward and back to the old Expenses for him .
WHAT A LAUGH !
- A.Taxpayer, London
For Mr Martin to gain a peerage after what has been disclosed may well bring ‘The House of Lords’ into serious disrepute in the mind of the Public. Hasn’t enough harm been done to the reputation of This Government already?
- Carl Barron, Christchurch, Dorset
I totally agree. To grant Michael Martin a peerage is rewarding his catastrophic failure.... something the MPs have recently been critising in the City. Again, methinks pot, kettle and black. And a massive insult to the general public.
- Goggs, London
Michael Martin must NOT be granted a seat in the Lords. To do so would merely "spread the rot". His dishonesty and lack of integrity precludes him boarding yet another gravy train. Tax payers are still reeling from the disclosure of the scale of MPs abuses of the expenses system, and Martin's encouragement of their corrupt claims and his attempts to prevent publication of them is an indication of how morally corrupt he is. The house of lords has quite enough corrupt peers to flush out without adding to them.
- R.F., Yorks, UK
So he quits instead of being sacked and ends up with a peerage!
Still Labour are rewarding failure will they ever learn?
- Mike, London England
