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Senior Labour MPs defend Speaker Brown defends 'very good' Speaker
(about 2 hours later)
Senior Labour figures have been rallying behind Commons Speaker Michael Martin, saying there has been a campaign to oust him. Gordon Brown has defended Commons Speaker Michael Martin, describing him as being "very, very good" at his job.
Mr Martin is facing increasing pressure following newspaper articles criticising his allowance claims. Several senior Labour figures have joined the prime minister in rallying behind Mr Martin, saying there has been a campaign to oust him.
It comes after his spokesman quit over giving wrong information on expenses. The Speaker has come under pressure over the resignation of his spokesman and his alleged use of air miles.
Among Mr Martin's supporters is former Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett, who said someone was "out to get" him by telling "nasty little stories". Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg also defended Mr Martin, saying there had been "a bit of a witch-hunt" against him.
Mrs Beckett said: "What I don't understand is why there have been a whole string of nasty little stories about Mr Martin. Somebody is out to get him." A number of MPs are said to want the Speaker to step down as Parliament's standards watchdog investigates a complaint against him.
'Witch hunt' Home expenses
Mr Martin, MP for Glasgow North East, has been accused of flying members of his family in business class from Glasgow to London for a New Year break, using air miles gained from official trips.
The Sunday Times also reported that he had claimed £17,000 a year for his home in Scotland and £7,500 in costs for using that home as an office.
SPEAKER'S DUTIES Keep order during debatesEnsure House rules obeyedAct impartiallyRepresents CommonsChooses MPs to speakCan suspend sittingsProtects interests of minorities
These figures had been publicly declared already and there is no suggestion Mr Martin had not used his allowance correctly.
The resignation of Mr Martin's spokesman, Mike Granatt, came after he rebutted a story that the Speaker's wife had claimed more than £4,000 in taxpayer-funded taxi expenses since May 2004.
Mr Granatt 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.
When asked about Mr Martin's predicament, Mr Brown said: "It's a matter for the House of Commons. Mr Martin has been a very, very good Speaker."
The Speaker, as chairman of the Commons Members Estimates Committee, is heading a "root-and-branch" parliamentary inquiry into all aspects of MPs' expenses.
'Fully committed;
Mr Clegg told the BBC: "I'm not going to give a running commentary on what looks like a witch-hunt against Speaker Martin."
He added that he thought Mr Martin was "fully committed" to overhaul Parliament's system of expenses which was, at present, "bringing the whole of politics into disrepute".
Among Mr Martin's Labour backers, former foreign secretary Margaret Beckett said: "What I don't understand is why there have been a whole string of nasty little stories about Mr Martin. Somebody is out to get him."
MPs can talk about anything they like, inside or outside the House, except their views about the Speaker Martin BellEx-independent MP
Business Secretary John Hutton said: "I've known Michael Martin for a long time and I have a great deal of respect for him.Business Secretary John Hutton said: "I've known Michael Martin for a long time and I have a great deal of respect for him.
"He is a decent man and a good Speaker of the House of Commons and I am sure that is a position he will want to defend over the next few weeks.""He is a decent man and a good Speaker of the House of Commons and I am sure that is a position he will want to defend over the next few weeks."
Former Home Secretary David Blunkett said the Speaker had done a "pretty reasonable job" and described stories about him as a "witch-hunt". He called for MPs agitating for a resignation to "stand up and be counted".
SPEAKER'S DUTIES Keep order during debatesEnsure House rules obeyedAct impartiallyRepresents CommonsChooses MPs to speakCan suspend sittingsProtects interests of minorities
Health Secretary Alan Johnson told GMTV: "Yes, I do support the Speaker and I do think this will blow over and the people who are, in some quarters of the press, who are obsessed about Michael Martin will move on and pick on someone else."Health Secretary Alan Johnson told GMTV: "Yes, I do support the Speaker and I do think this will blow over and the people who are, in some quarters of the press, who are obsessed about Michael Martin will move on and pick on someone else."
The Speaker, as chairman of the Commons Members Estimates Committee, is heading a "root and branch" parliamentary inquiry into all aspects of MPs' expenses. But former independent MP and anti-sleaze campaigner Martin Bell said Mr Martin was being protected from MPs' public criticism by the convention they do not openly criticise a Speaker.
A number of MPs are said to want Mr Martin to step down as Parliament's standards watchdog probes a complaint over his alleged use of air miles.
Mr Martin, MP for Glasgow North East, has been accused of flying members of his family in business class from Glasgow to London for a New Year break, using air miles gained from official trips.
And the Sunday Times is among newspapers reporting he has claimed £17,000 a year for his home in Scotland and £7,500 in costs for using that home as an office.
Publicly declared
These figures have been publicly declared already and there has been no suggestion Mr Martin had not used his allowance correctly.
The resignation of Mr Martin's spokesman, Mike Granatt, came after he rebutted a story that Mr Martin's wife had claimed more than £4,000 in taxpayer-funded taxi expenses since May 2004.
We know there is widespread disquiet on both sides of the House and no-one dare speak up Martin BellEx-independent MP
He said any shopping trips she had undertaken had been for food for government-related functions, and Mrs Martin had been accompanied by an official at all times.
But Mr Granatt later learned that the official was actually a housekeeper from the Speaker's household.
He 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.
Ex-MP and anti-sleaze campaigner Martin Bell said Mr Martin was being protected from MPs' public criticism by the convention they do not openly criticise a Speaker.
"MPs can talk about anything they like, inside or outside the House, except their views about the Speaker," he said."MPs can talk about anything they like, inside or outside the House, except their views about the Speaker," he said.
"We know there is widespread disquiet on both sides of the House and no-one dare speak up.""We know there is widespread disquiet on both sides of the House and no-one dare speak up."