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The Queen has approved a peerage for former Commons Speaker Michael Martin.
Gordon Brown's spokesman said today that the monarch had backed a motion backed by MPs asking for the service of Mr Martin to be recognised. “There is a long-established convention that previous Speakers receive peerages,” he said.
The Lords Appointments Commission is thought to have raised concerns with the Prime Minister that enobling Mr Martin — the first Speaker to be hounded out of office for 300 years — could damage the reputation of the Upper House.
Reader views (17)
Almost as shocking & detrimental to the moral framework of the UK as rewarding the serial failures of the twice-forced-to-resign Mandelson!
- A Britt, Brussels, Belgium, 01/07/2009 22:13
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Brown himself intervened in order to set a precedent. So that another useless scottish MP could follow him into the house of Lords . Who do I mean? Take your pick there is no end of them in the Goverment including the HIgh Bruin hisself .
- Drowning Not Waving, UK, 01/07/2009 16:57
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In an imperfect world, the old House of Lords did a better and far, far, cheaper job than this crowd of self-serving shisters. Many of them had a greater understanding of business than this lot, too, having proved themselves either running estates or in the private sector.
- Roz, France, 01/07/2009 16:57
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Until recently the House of Lords was deviod of financial scandals. Archer was a case of perjury. Of the recent scandals only one involved a peer appointed before Tony Blair kicked out half the hereditaries and replaced them with his cronies or paymasters.
Now they want to add Michael Martin, a man whose expenses are a disgrace and whose handling of the parliamantary expenses affair was scandalous. He claims that it is his working class roots are the victim of snobbery. What about George Thomas (a miner's son) and Betty Boothroyd (a Tiller girl) both of whom were loved and respected?
What is the conclusion? The hereditaries did a far better job of governing the country than Tony's (or Gordon's) cronies. It is not a logical means of government in the 21st Century but those peers have experience, integrity and a will to serve their country.
There were a few sexual scandals and a few cases of high treason if you go back far enough and they get upset if their hunting, shooting and fishing are interfered with otherwise they creat no problems.
I suggest that the hereditariy peers are reinstated with Prince Philip as Lord Chancellor and a few retired service chiefs to reinforce the house. Then, if we get rid of this government, we might start sorting out the country.
- Martin Fielding, London, England, 01/07/2009 16:06
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To add insult to injury - Brown himself will join Martin in the house of lords when he is kicked out of office next year. Who could respect such a gathering of crooks? When three were recently found guilty of offering to change legislation for a fee I thought they couldn't sink any lower. I was wrong. They are about to welcome Gorbals Mick.
- R.F., Yorks, UK, 01/07/2009 15:55
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ITS LIKE PRIMARY SCHOOL SPORTS DAY UNDER LABOUR, EVERYONES A WINNER.
YEARS AGO I WAS DISCUSSING CAREERS WITH MY GRANDSON. ITS QUITE SIMPLE I SAID GET A JOB IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR, OR WORK YOUR WAY ONTO THE BOARD OF A BIG COMPANY, THEN ONE DAY MAKE A TOTAL MESS OF IT. YOU CAN THEN RETIRE EARLY AND BE ABLE TO ENJOY A MASSIVE PENSION FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
- Alan Green, Woodford Green, 01/07/2009 15:40
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We all know that Gordon Brown promised Martin a peerage
to get him to resign from office.
It is a pity the Queen as to pretend to give Her approval.I suspect the real reason her majesty does nothing because She is worried about Her son and grandson becoming King and the continuation of the monarchy. I will remember on election day that Brown is a lyer and a hypocrite.Unfortunately I can not believe anything he or the government says any more.
- Alan R, Luton Bedfordshire, 01/07/2009 14:37
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We all know that Gordon Brown promised Martin a peerage
to get him to resign from office.
It is a pity the Queen as to pretend to give Her approval.I suspect the real reason her majesty does nothing because She is worried about Her son and grandson becoming King and the continuation of the monarchy. I will remember on election day that Brown is a lyer and a hypocrite.Unfortunately I can not believe anything he or the government says any more.
- Alan R, Luton Bedfordshire, 01/07/2009 14:37
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In Brown's Britain, everybody is rewarded for failure.
- Dee Jay, Fleet Hampshire, 01/07/2009 14:00
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As the football chant goes: dumpUk..dumpUk..dumpUk
- Ted, London, 01/07/2009 13:50
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Mr Martin should be rewarded for his services. The only problem is he cannot be demoted. As for Her Maj's part in proceedings: it is not within her powers to do other than as her Prime Minister directs in this matter. It might be interesting to know what she would do if she could do otherwise!
- Soo, London, 01/07/2009 12:59
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I thought Brown recently told us that nobody should be rewarded for failure!
- Scotty, Cambridge UK, 01/07/2009 12:21
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What a joke this corrupt, incompetent government is. How on earth can they reward Martin with a peerage. Its bad enough that we have to pay the crook a ridiculous pension. Yet again failure is to be rewarded!!
- Ns, London, 01/07/2009 12:16
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Personally l am against peerages in general but for someone who has had to resign its unacceptable especailly when he was such a poor holder of the office. Its another example of them and us. If Joe Public had to resign they wouldn't get a peerage. He has been more than adequetely rewarded already
- Johnston, London, 01/07/2009 12:14
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What a farce. Brown and his Trotskyite cronies want to clear any hereditary peers from the Lords as they apparently have no right to be there. The alternative they provide is even worse! Martin was an ineffective speaker and acted at best in bad faith over expenses and freedom of information. I WANT AN ELECTION!
- Mark, London, 01/07/2009 12:11
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What an utter immoral disgrace this unelected prime minister is.
- Thomas, London, 01/07/2009 11:50
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If Martin gets an ermine collar it will go to show how corrupt our government is. And is Her Maj so out of touch that she thinks that Mick is worthy of the elevation? Doesn't she have any servants in the royal household that read the papers to her?
Or maybe she will use the opportunity of his investiture to whip out her sabre and lop his bonce off.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one, 01/07/2009 11:48
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