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| Speaker announces he is to quit | Speaker announces he is to quit |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Michael Martin has told MPs he intends to stand down, so becoming the first Commons Speaker to be effectively forced out of office for 300 years. | |
| In a brief statement to a packed House of Commons he said he would step down on 21 June, with his successor set to be elected by MPs the next day. | |
| Mr Martin, who is also expected to step down as an MP, has faced criticism over his handling of the MP expenses issue. | |
| The Glasgow North East MP has been an MP for 30 years and Speaker for nine. | |
| In a statement to MPs which lasted less than a minute, Mr Martin said: "I have always felt that the House is at its best when it is united. | |
| "In order to that unity can be maintained, I have decided that I will relinquish office of Speaker on Sunday 21 June. | |
| "This will allow the House to proceed to elect a new Speaker on Monday 22 June." | |
| He finished by adding "that is all I have to say on this matter" before going on to ask for questions to Foreign Secretary David Miliband. | |
| Mr Miliband said the House would respect his wishes and make its tributes at "a later date". | |
| But independent MP Bob Spink, who asked the first question, paid "the warmest possible tribute" to Mr Martin - to "hear hears" from MPs. |