It was the resignation that never was. Despite mounting pressure and calls for him to resign, Michael Martin stood defiant in the House of Commons earlier today as he apologised to the country for the expenses scandal.
Not a word was said about his future – well, at least not from him. At least five MPs, standing one after the other, directly challenged the Speaker’s authority when he finished his statement. This significance of this should not be overlooked; no Speaker has been ejected from his seat for over 300 years.
It shows just how deep feelings of impropriety are running as the Daily Telegraph continues to drip feed details of expense claims – everything from manure to moats and massage chairs – into the public domain.
