Speaking Up Against The Speaker

LibDem parliamentary Candidate for Reading East, Cllr Gareth Epps is one of 56 PPCs to sign an open letter expressing disappointment with the Speaker of the House of Commons, Michael Martin MP, and calling on him to consider his position.

Cllr Epps is backing up LibDem leader Nick Clegg's extraordinary and unprecedented call for the resignation of the Speaker of the House as a first step to regain trust in the political system of the country damaged by the expenses scandal.

Mr Martin is due to make a statement which he hopes will quell concerns about the scandal by setting out his proposed course of action, although it it not known whether he will address a motion of no confidence in the Speaker due to be tabled by Conservative Douglas Carswell (a first in over 300 years), as it is within the Speaker's remit to ignore such a motion if it is unsupported by a wide enough spread of members.

The Speaker is in charge of the Fees Office which oversees parliamentary expenses, as well as being responsible for the smooth running of the chamber in his role as presiding officer or chair of the House of Commons. He is expected to remain politically impartial at all times.

Oranjepan asks:
Who will return order to this troubled house?

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Update: Both local MPs have said Mr Martin's removal from the speaker's chair was necessary. Martin Salter regretted the move and said he was "not responsible" for the inexcusable claims made by MPs on both sides of the house, but Rob Wilson pointed out that Mr Martin had previously been found guilty of dodgy claims of his own.