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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Speaker's aide quits over story | Speaker's aide quits over story |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| An aide for the Speaker of the House of Commons, Michael Martin, has resigned over the handling of a news story. | An aide for the Speaker of the House of Commons, Michael Martin, has resigned over the handling of a news story. |
| Spokesman Mike Granatt says he was misled by Commons officials over a Mail on Sunday story about the Speaker's wife using taxis for shopping. | Spokesman Mike Granatt says he was misled by Commons officials over a Mail on Sunday story about the Speaker's wife using taxis for shopping. |
| He said he quit for "ethical reasons" after "unwittingly" giving out the wrong information to a journalist. | He said he quit for "ethical reasons" after "unwittingly" giving out the wrong information to a journalist. |
| It comes as Parliament's standards watchdog probes a complaint over Mr Martin's alleged use of air miles. | It comes as Parliament's standards watchdog probes a complaint over Mr Martin's alleged use of air miles. |
| Mr Granatt, who has worked as a top-level communications specialist for more than two decades, was adamant that Mr Martin was not at fault over the misinformation. | |
| Instead he blamed officials, claiming they had not told him the entire truth. | |
| "I have stepped down from my post for ethical reasons, because I misled a journalist unwittingly," said. | |
| "I learned on Friday that I had been led to mislead journalists over material facts in a story concerning the Speaker's household and the use of taxis." | |
| 'Embarrassing' | 'Embarrassing' |
| At the end of last year, it was reported that Mr Martin's wife had claimed more than £4,000 in taxpayer-funded taxi expenses since May 2004. | At the end of last year, it was reported that Mr Martin's wife had claimed more than £4,000 in taxpayer-funded taxi expenses since May 2004. |
| If it's a case that he was simply misinformed by someone else then that hardly seems to be his fault and he seems to have resigned prematurely Lib Dem MP Norman Baker | |
| At the time, Mr Granatt rebutted the story, saying the shopping trips had been for food for government-related functions, and Mrs Martin had been accompanied by an official at all times. | At the time, Mr Granatt rebutted the story, saying the shopping trips had been for food for government-related functions, and Mrs Martin had been accompanied by an official at all times. |
| But Mr Granatt learned from the Mail on Sunday that the official was actually a housekeeper from the Speaker's household. | |
| "It's embarrassing and he's decided because he effectively misled a journalist over this, he's had to resign," said BBC political correspondent Ben Wright. | "It's embarrassing and he's decided because he effectively misled a journalist over this, he's had to resign," said BBC political correspondent Ben Wright. |
| Mr Granatt's resignation is the latest controversy to hit Mr Martin. | |
| He has been accused of flying members of his family business-class from Glasgow to London for a New Year break, using air miles gained from official trips. | He has been accused of flying members of his family business-class from Glasgow to London for a New Year break, using air miles gained from official trips. |
| Inquiry | |
| Mr Martin chairs the Commons Members Estimates Committee, which oversees MPs' expenses. | Mr Martin chairs the Commons Members Estimates Committee, which oversees MPs' expenses. |
| He is heading a "root and branch" parliamentary inquiry into all aspects of MPs' expenses, in the wake of a furore over Tory MP Derek Conway's employment of his sons. | He is heading a "root and branch" parliamentary inquiry into all aspects of MPs' expenses, in the wake of a furore over Tory MP Derek Conway's employment of his sons. |
| Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker said he was "surprised" by Mr Granatt's resignation. | |
| "If it's a case as he suggests that he was simply misinformed by someone else then that hardly seems to be his fault and he seems to have resigned, in a way, prematurely," he said. | |
| "Obviously, he's a dedicated official who takes it seriously that he has given out information that was incorrect." | |
| Mr Granatt is widely regarded as an expert in communications. | |
| He joined the civil service in 1979 and held several important positions, including head of the Government Information and Communication Service (GICS) and its crisis management unit. | |
| He also served as the government's counter-terrorism advisor but in 2004, he joined public relations consultancy Luther Pendragon. | |
| The House of Commons Commission, the management committee which Mr Martin chairs, was one of his many clients. |