Nick Clegg should speak out
James Forsyth 5:50pm
The Lib Dems should be leading the charge against Michael Martin. It is the kind of issue where the Lib Dems can emphasise their outsider status and come across as the party prepared to break up the cosy Westminster consensus. Considering the public disquiet about how MPs are using the expenses system, the Lib Dems would be onto a winner.
MPs and the political parties are reluctant to criticise the Speaker because they fear the consequences. As Nick Robinson points out, individual MPs worry that they might not get called in debates and the Tories want to ensure that one of their own gets the job next time round. However, it is to Clegg and the Lib Dem’s advantage to be seen to be crossing the Speaker right now as their big battle at the moment is to get their ‘in or out’ referendum amendment down; the Commons Clerks are reluctant to allow it to be tabled as they don’t see it as relevant to the Lisbon Treaty bill. But if the Lib Dems were to be denied after publicly criticising Martin, they would be able to kick up an almighty fuss which would disguise their own deep divisions over the issue.
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Comments
Faceless Bureaucrat
February 25th, 2008 6:11pmYou are correct of course, but Clegg doesn't have the balls to do it - that's why they should have elected Chris Huhne as Party Leader - but then this is the Lib Dems of course and getting leadership elections right is not one of their strengths...
Verity
February 25th, 2008 6:20pmThe MPs all have their murky "expenses" and they've all got their noses in the trough. This is one applecart that will not be upset.
adrian drummond
February 25th, 2008 7:05pmMembers of Parliament are - generally speaking - low calibre individuals. They possess little moral fibre, are not particuarly clever and have their own self interests at heart. So it comes as no surprise that they act in such a spineless way.
marie antoinette
February 26th, 2008 8:50amAre our MPs mice or men? If they are so afraid of the speaker then they should vote to get rid of him. May I suggest as a replacement the ticket machine which gives you a number in the queue. It works very well in the butchery department of Tesco. Perhaps we could be rid of the MPs at the same time and replace them with the supermarket staff. They ,at least, know what it is like to have to work for a living.