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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Brown: I've confidence in Speaker | Brown: I've confidence in Speaker |
| (19 minutes later) | |
| The prime minister has said he has a "great deal of confidence" in House of Commons Speaker Michael Martin. | The prime minister has said he has a "great deal of confidence" in House of Commons Speaker Michael Martin. |
| Mr Martin has been criticised for not stopping the Commons office of Tory MP Damian Green being searched as part of a Home Office leaks inquiry. | |
| Gordon Brown told the BBC the Speaker had a "very difficult job" and was doing it "to the best of his ability". | Gordon Brown told the BBC the Speaker had a "very difficult job" and was doing it "to the best of his ability". |
| The Lib Dems say a Parliamentary inquiry into the affair has been "neutered" and they will boycott it. | |
| Both the Lib Dems and the Conservatives have complained that the inquiry by a committee of seven MPs will be dominated by Labour members and will not start work until after the police inquiry, and any criminal proceedings, have concluded. | |
| Consent form | |
| The Lib Dems will not now nominate any MPs to sit on the committee for the inquiry, which was announced by the Speaker on Wednesday. | |
| Mr Martin gave a statement to MPs to explain how officers were able to enter and search Mr Green's office. | |
| He said, one of his officials, the Serjeant at Arms, had signed a consent form allowing the action, rather than requiring police to produce a warrant. | |
| Mr Martin promised that in future a warrant would be needed for all such searches and announced the inquiry by a committee of seven senior MPs. | |
| On Wednesday, House of Commons leader Harriet Harman declined to say that she had confidence in Mr Martin. | On Wednesday, House of Commons leader Harriet Harman declined to say that she had confidence in Mr Martin. |
| Her government colleague, housing minister Margaret Beckett, also refused to endorse him, telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It is not for the government to pronounce on the Speaker; the Speaker is elected by the House." | Her government colleague, housing minister Margaret Beckett, also refused to endorse him, telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It is not for the government to pronounce on the Speaker; the Speaker is elected by the House." |
| Difficult job | Difficult job |
| But Mr Brown was asked on BBC Radio 5 Live whether he had confidence in the Speaker and replied: "Yes. It's a very difficult job for the Speaker of the House of Commons because, when the issue arises, he has got to make a judgement based on his knowledge of what's happening in the House of Commons." | |
| He added: "I've got a great deal of confidence in the Speaker. He's got a very difficult job and he tries to do it, and does it, to the best of his ability." | He added: "I've got a great deal of confidence in the Speaker. He's got a very difficult job and he tries to do it, and does it, to the best of his ability." |
| Questioned about Ms Harman's comments, Mr Brown said she had been trying to point out that the government had no say in whether a Speaker should remain in office or otherwise. | Questioned about Ms Harman's comments, Mr Brown said she had been trying to point out that the government had no say in whether a Speaker should remain in office or otherwise. |
| It was not as if the government had "some control over the Speaker", he said, adding: "We don't. He is appointed by the whole House of Commons." | It was not as if the government had "some control over the Speaker", he said, adding: "We don't. He is appointed by the whole House of Commons." |
| Mr Green was arrested last Thursday and held for nine hours by the Metropolitan Police, while all his homes and offices were searched. | Mr Green was arrested last Thursday and held for nine hours by the Metropolitan Police, while all his homes and offices were searched. |
| Earlier, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said that no minister had had prior knowledge that he was under investigation or was going to be arrested. | Earlier, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said that no minister had had prior knowledge that he was under investigation or was going to be arrested. |