Speaker Michael Martin to stand down
Updated on 19 May 2009
The beleaguered House of Commons Speaker Michael Martin is to announce he will step down later today.
Under fire over his handling of the Commons expenses crisis - and facing growing calls for him to go - Michael Martin will tell MPs later this afternoon he will now stand down as speaker.
It is the first time a speaker has been effectively forced out for more than 300 years.
Gary Gibbon talks to Samira Ahmed.
“I think there is an enormous question of whether this connects with the public, or whether they look at the House of Commons, caught with its hands in the till, turning on the man in fancy dress as anything that remotely seems the appropriate response,” said Gibbon.
Douglas Carswell talks to Samira Ahmed.
Douglas Carswell says that the decision by Michael Martin to resign is the right one. He promises that he would respect any decision by the Speaker to stay on until the next general election. But he admits that this has been one of the most awful weeks for him as an MP.
Brown to call for 'root and branch' reform
Asked about the Speaker's imminent resignation, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "It is for the Speaker to tell the House of Commons first what his intentions are and I think it is only fair to wait until he says that.
"As far as the bigger issues are concerned about the future of politics, I've made it clear to the national executive of the Labour party today that no member of parliament and no candidate will stand for the Labour party at the next election if they have defied the rules. No minister will be in the cabinet or in the government in future if it is proven that they have defied the rules.
"I'm also making proposals when I meet the all party committee of people this afternoon, for a fundamental rethink of the system, a root and branch reform.
"People have got to recognise that, because of the anger of the public, because of the mistakes that have been made, because of the errors that have happened that these changes are quite fundamental and will be made very soon."
